You’re sitting in Shujin Academy, the chalk is squeaking against the board, and Mr. Ushimaru is staring you down with a piece of chalk ready to launch at your forehead. Then it happens. A question about the "Execution by Poisoning" or some obscure piece of Japanese folklore pops up. You panic. Honestly, we’ve all been there. Getting the persona 5 question answers right isn't just about feeling smart; it’s the most efficient way to boost your Knowledge stat without burning a whole afternoon in the library or the diner.
Every point matters. If you want to max out your Social Stats before the endgame, you can't afford to whiff on these. Shujin Academy doesn't play around, and the game expects you to have the trivia skills of a Jeopardy champion just to pass a mid-term.
The Logic Behind Shujin's Weird Trivia
The school system in Persona 5 is actually based on real Japanese curriculum standards, but with a heavy dose of "Atlus flavor." You aren't just learning math. You’re learning about the origin of the word "Talent" or why the Northern Hemisphere gets more sunlight in the summer.
It's basically a test of your attention span.
A lot of people think the questions are random. They aren't. They often tie into the overarching themes of the game—rebellion, perception, and how society views "truth." For instance, when the teacher asks about the "Gallows Hill," it’s not just flavor text; it’s foreshadowing the velvet room mechanics. If you’re playing Persona 5 Royal, the dates and some answers actually shift compared to the vanilla version. This throws a lot of veteran players off. You think you know the answer because you played it in 2017, but then 2020's Royal edition hits you with a curveball about "The Lumiere Brothers."
Why Knowledge Stats Actually Change Your Gameplay
Why bother looking up persona 5 question answers anyway? Can't you just be a dummy and still save the world?
Sure. But you'll be lonely.
High Knowledge is a hard requirement for progressing your Confidant rank with Makoto Niijima. If you aren't "Smart" enough, she won't even give you the time of day for certain rank-ups. Same goes for Hifumi Togo. Plus, acing your exams gives you a massive Charm boost. It’s a domino effect. You do well in school, people think you’re cool, you unlock better items, and you have more time to spend in Mementos because you didn't have to study for three nights straight to make up for a failed quiz.
Navigating the Midterms and Finals
Exams are the real killers. They span multiple days. You don't get the "helper" whisper from your classmates during exams like you do during regular lectures.
In May, you're hit with questions about the "Optical Illusion" and "Magistrate's Patronage." By July, it moves into "Julius Caesar" and "The Shinto Mythos." Most players struggle because the game expects you to remember a single sentence a teacher said three weeks ago in real-time. Who has that kind of memory?
Here is the deal with the exams: Your performance is calculated based on a mix of choosing the correct persona 5 question answers and your actual Knowledge rank at that moment. Even if you get every single answer right, if your Knowledge rank is "Learned" when it should be "Scholarly," you won't top the class. It feels a bit rigged. It kinda is.
Critical Dates and Answers You’ll Likely Miss
- April 12th: The "Villains" question. It’s basically about what defines a "bad person."
- May 10th: Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Remember that name. He shows up in the lore constantly.
- September 3rd: Prosperity. This relates to the concept of "The Wealth of Nations."
- October 22nd: The number of balls in a specific magic trick. It's five. Don't overthink it.
The logic often follows a "common sense" path that isn't actually common. Like the question about why the "Kokan" is a specific size. It’s because it was based on the width of a person's backside. Yes, really. Atlus loves these weird, slightly anatomical facts.
The Royal Difference: Don't Get Confused
If you are playing Persona 5 Royal, the "Third Semester" adds a whole new layer of school life. The questions get even more philosophical. They start touching on the nature of reality and happiness—which, if you've finished the game, you know is a massive hint toward the final boss's motivations.
In Royal, you also have the "Thieves Guild" feature. If you're connected to the internet, you can press the touchpad to see what percentage of other players chose each answer. It’s a lifesaver. Usually, 90% of people get it right, so you can just follow the crowd. But be careful—sometimes the "popular" answer is wrong if a bunch of people are trolling. Trust, but verify.
Actionable Tips for Academic Success
Don't just guess. If you’re serious about a "Max Social Stats" run, you need a strategy that doesn't rely on luck.
First, always check the calendar. If an exam is coming up, stop going to the Big Bang Burger challenge and start hitting the library. The library gives you a Knowledge boost and a Guts boost if you can handle the whispering students.
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Second, pay attention to the weather. Studying at the Diner on a rainy day gives you a massive bonus to Knowledge because of the "quiet atmosphere." It’s the most efficient way to grind the stat. Order the Miso Ramen or the Totem Pole—it doesn't matter much for the stat, but it makes the scene feel more authentic.
Third, finish the "Star" Confidant (Hifumi) early if possible. While she doesn't help with school directly, her abilities make combat so much faster that you’ll have more "Free Time" slots to dedicate to reading books that boost Knowledge.
Fourth, keep a steady supply of "LeBlanc Coffee." Not for the school questions, but to keep your SP up so you can clear Palaces in a single day. The faster you clear a Palace, the more days you have to sit in your room and study.
Finally, when you're actually in the classroom and the prompt appears, take a second. Look at the phrasing. Often, the teacher will highlight a specific word in blue or yellow during the lecture a few days prior. That's your "cheat sheet."
The game wants you to succeed, but it wants you to pay attention to the "boring" parts of life just as much as the flashy heists. That’s the whole point of the "double life" mechanic. You aren't just a Phantom Thief; you’re a student under probation. Act like it, and the rewards—like being able to fuse the most powerful Personas in the game because your Social Stats are high enough to unlock the right Confidant perks—will follow naturally.
Go study. Those midterms won't ace themselves.