How to Find a Right Pen for Your Exam?

The Confucius said, " To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools." Now we've tested a lot of pens from different Japanese brands and pick the ones that are the best for exams.

* If you are too busy to read through the whole introduction, please roll down to the end of the blog and visit the brief version.

Basic elements that pens should have in order to guarantee the nice performance during exam are:

• Smoothness
• Endurance
• Comfort

The following recommendation is follow the alphabetical order of brand names

 

1. Pilot V5

Smoothness ★★★★☆ 4.5

Endurance    ★★★★     4

Comfort         ★★★        3

Pilot V5 is the most well-know water-based needle-rollerball pen. The features of the water-based ink and the unique three-pointed support rollerball technique make sure the smooth experience of writing. This technique also dramaticallydecreases the possibility of disfunction after dropping it on the ground.

 

Usually pens with water-based ink have the disadvantage of using time. However Pilot V5 solved the problem by changing the body of the pen into the storage of ink. The transparent widow allows the user to know how much ink is left. The storage of the ink is inside the pen body and V5 can afford writing up to 1000m. The fin-shaped ink applying system guarantees a stable writing experience.

The double layer cap makes sure that there will be no interaction between the cap and the nib of the pen. And the structure guarantees that the pen can be used immediately after the cap is removed and the ink won’t dry out.

2. Pilot P-700

Smoothness  ★★★★☆ 4.5

Endurance     ★★★★☆ 4.5

Comfort          ★★★☆    3.5

Pilot P-700 is the brother of Pilot V5. It is known in America as Precise P-700 and in Japan as a part of Hi-Techpoint series. They use the same three-pointed support rollerball technique on the nib and both store the ink in the body of the pen.

However with the bigger body the writing can last up to 2000m, which is almost double the length of Pilot V5. Pilot P-700 uses the same ATT ink supply system to make sure the stable writing experience.

If you are a pragmatist, then Pilot P-700 will be one of your first choices.

 

3. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica

Smoothness  ★★★★   4

Endurance     ★★★★   4

Comfort          ★★★      3

Features: fine, less feather

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica also uses the three-pointed support rollerball technique on the nib.

However, to improve the performance on paper with more fibers, a replaceable gel ink refill is used. With the gel ink the handwriting can be finer as there is less feather during writing.

With the feature of gel ink, more colours are able with the Maica series and the handwriting will dry out faster to avoid dirt.

 

4. Uni-ball Signo RT1

Smoothness ★★★★☆  4.5

Endurance   ★★★★       4

Comfort        ★★★☆     3.5

Feature: special nib, pigment-based ink

Uni-ball Signo RT1 uses the UMR-85N refill which uses the latest technique of Uni-ball(only in 0.5 series). This model is currently cannot be bought in Australia Retail Stores at the moment. With the extra metal polishing, the experience of writing becomes smoother.

The latest recipe of ink improves the level of blackness and shininess. Furthermore, the ink shows less feather than other ink in the experiment.

The current model is the latest model and all products are made in Japan, which is the label of the high quality.

 

5. Uni-ball Jetstream Sport

Smoothness ★★★★   4

Endurance   ★★★★    4

Comfort        ★★★★    4

Feature: pigment-based ink

Uni-ball Jetstream Sport uses the Uni-ball special pigment-based ink. The ink has features of both water-based ink and oil-based ink. Uni Jetstream Rubber Body is also recommended.

The ink can not only be as smooth as the water-based ink but also be as fast-dried as oil-based ink. The ink not only avoid the feather and bleed of the water-based ink but also the uncomfortable writing experience of oil-based ink.

In this circumstance, this is one of the best pens for left-handers. The unique structure of the refill guarantee the long-lasting and avoid the skip when writing. The wirecutter wrote a report about this model and said that this is the best pen they have ever seen.However as they are not the master of Japanese stationery, the “best” is a little bit over, but it does is one of the best pens and it is a perfect pen for exam.

 

6. Uni-ball Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip

Smoothness ★★★★☆   4.5

Endurance   ★★★★   4

Comfort    ★★★★★  5

Feature: metal body, Alpha gel grip

There is another similar model in Jetstream series, which is Uni-ball Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip. It has a low centre of gravity design and alpha-Gel grip, which helps people write for a long time without feeling tired.

However, the whole-meltal body increases the price of the pen.

 

7. Zebra Sarasa Clip

Smoothness ★★★★    4 

Endurance   ★★★☆   3.5

Comfort        ★★★★    4

Feature: clip, tick all boxes

If you are a big fan of MUJI Gel Push Clip pen, then here is a cheaper but totally the same product for you. All MUJI Gel Push Clip pens are produced by Zebra with the same model as Sarasa Clip. The pen ticks all boxes a pen required for an exam, smooth, long-lasting, comfort.

With the double rollerball system, the stable writing experience is guaranteed. In that way, Sarasa Clip Gel Pen will never be the wrong decision.

 

8. Zebra Airfit Fast-dry

Smoothness  ★★★★     4

Endurance    ★★★☆    3.5

Comfort        ★★★★☆  4.5

Feature: fast-dry, left-handers friendly, air-fit grip

If you are left-hander, Zebra Airfit Fast-dry will satisfies all your requirement for a pen. With the special Zebra Air Cushion Grip, it is hard to feel tired during writing. It is not as soft as Alpha Gel Grip from Uni-ball Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip, so it is a nice choice for people who prefer tougher feedback than Alpha Gel Grip.

The Fast-dry ink allows the script dry immediately after written which make the writing for Left-handers much easier.

The great storage of the refill guarantees the long lasting and the gel ink makes writing experience smooth. Furthermore, the comfortable grip plus special ink make it a nice choice for exam.

 

What if I prefer to use pencils during the exam?

Mechanical pencil is the best choice as you don’t want to waste your time on sharpening it.

1. Zebra Delguard

With the special pressure releasing system in the pencil, the pressure during writing will be transferred to the spring instead of accumulating on the lead itself.

In that way, The lead will never* break and leads to a better writing experience.

*: Using it normally

 

2. Uni-ball Kuru Toga Auto-rotation

With the special structure inside the pencil, the lead will be rotated after every stroke so that the lead can always be kept sharp.

A pencil that is always sharp will save you some time and leads to a better writing experience.

3. Chenguang Answer Sheet Pencil

With the special wide lead, the pencil can fill the bland on answer sheet with at most two strokes.

With the paper that has more than 100 questions, the pencil can save you much time on filling the blanks. In that way, it is a must have for exams with multiple choices.

 

Pens

1. Pilot V5

Smoothness ★★★★☆ 4.5

Endurance    ★★★★     4

Comfort         ★★★        3

2. Pilot P-700

Smoothness  ★★★★☆ 4.5

Endurance     ★★★★☆ 4.5

Comfort          ★★★☆    3.5

3. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica

Smoothness  ★★★★   4

Endurance     ★★★★   4

Comfort          ★★★      3

Features: fine, less feather

4. Uni-ball Signo RT1

Smoothness ★★★★☆  4.5

Endurance   ★★★★       4

Comfort        ★★★☆     3.5

Feature: special nib, pigment-based ink

5. Uni-ball Jetstream Sport

Smoothness ★★★★   4

Endurance   ★★★★    4

Comfort        ★★★★    4

Feature: pigment-based ink

6. Uni-ball Jetstream Alpha Gel Grip

Smoothness ★★★★☆   4.5

Endurance   ★★★★   4

Comfort    ★★★★★  5

Feature: metal body, Alpha gel grip

7. Zebra SARASA Clip

Smoothness ★★★★    4 

Endurance   ★★★☆   3.5

Comfort        ★★★★    4

Feature: clip, tick all boxes

8. Zebra Airfit Fast-Dry

Smoothness  ★★★★     4

Endurance    ★★★☆    3.5

Comfort        ★★★★☆  4.5

Feature: fast-dry, left-handers friendly, air-fit grip

 

Mechanical Pencils

1. Zebra Delguard

Feature: prevent lead breakage

2. Uni-ball Kuru Toga Auto Rotation

Feature: rotate the lead twice as quickly as basic Kuru Toga pencils

3. Chenguang Answer Sheet Pencil

Feature: wide lead designed specifically for answer sheet

Erasers

1. Pentel Hi-Polymer Ain Eraser

Feature: special polymer material, less dust

 

 

2. Uni Boxy Eraser

Feature: erases well, all-purpose eraser

 

3. Kokuyo Miri 5-Function Eraser

Feature: five-width edges: a point, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm and 6 mm

 

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