Pikmin 4 Dandori Academy Exam Guide: Schedule & Rules
When Dandori Academy exams open, how practice differs from official runs, three difficulties, and 72 stages—verified pre-launch facts only.
When do Dandori Academy exams open each week?
As of November 3, 2026, every English source we verified agrees on the same weekly window: official exams are available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Video Games Chronicle quotes Nintendo’s announcement verbatim (“exams every Friday, Saturday and Sunday”), and the September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct narrator uses the same wording while urging players to practice before their “one attempt.”
Nintendo has not published a reset timezone in those materials. We are not guessing whether the week flips at midnight local time, Pacific time, or UTC. After launch, we will read the in-game calendar and update this page if the UI states a region or clock.
How do practice runs differ from official exams?
Dandori Academy is built around two layers:
| Mode | What Nintendo and partners say | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Practice | SimplyGames: “practise each stage as much as you want.” Pikmin Bloom: “practice each course as many times as you like.” Pikipedia notes you can practice the current open stages on any day of the week. | You can learn layouts and Pikmin routing without spending the scored attempt. |
| Exam | SimplyGames: “you can only attempt the exam once per week” (per stage). Direct: “You only get one attempt, so make sure you practice ahead of time.” | Your medal for that stage locks in from the official run, not from endless restarts. |
Pikmin Bloom’s cross-promo also notes that practice does not satisfy exam-based reward requirements for Bloom gifts. That is a separate app track, but it reinforces that Nintendo treats practice and exams as different actions.
For how medals feed rewards (including user icons), see our Dandori Academy medals breakdown.
What difficulty and stage rollout should you expect?
Confirmed numbers from Nintendo’s Direct and retail copy:
- Three difficulty levels — the Direct narrator says “three difficulty levels in Dandori Academy” so beginners and veterans can pick suitable stages.
- 72 stages total — announced in the Direct, Gematsu, VGC, and Game Informer coverage.
- Six stages per month — stated on SimplyGames’ Nintendo Switch 2 Edition listing and Pikmin Bloom’s Dandori Points footnote (“Six Dandori Academy courses are released each month”).
Individual stage names beyond the demo courses (for example “Mushroom Mash” in Bloom promos) are not something we will list here until Nintendo documents the full curriculum in English.
Are online leaderboards part of exams?
Yes. VGC’s announcement mentions “online leaderboards” alongside medals and the three difficulty levels. The Direct closes by saying you can “see the scores of your friends and players around the world” after you aim for a high score in an exam.
Exact menu names, filters, and whether Nintendo Switch Online is required are not yet spelled out in the English pages we fetched. We will verify those requirements on hardware after November 12, 2026.
What should you do before the first exam weekend?
The block below is our suggested prep, inferred only from confirmed rules—not official Nintendo advice.
- Own or upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition before November 12, 2026. Dandori Academy ships with that SKU; the base 2023 Switch cart does not include the mode (overview hub).
- Practice open stages on any day before you sit the exam. Nintendo does not map practice to weekdays only; exams are Fri–Sun.
- Reserve your weekly exam attempt for a stage you have routed cleanly in practice. One attempt per stage per week is the retail wording we have; do not treat practice PBs as banked scores.
- Decide whether the mode alone justifies the purchase. If you still own the 2023 release, read Switch 2 Edition upgrade steps and whether the edition is worth it before buying for Academy alone.
The first Friday after the November 12 launch is November 13, 2026 (calendar math). Nintendo’s weekly rule plus that launch date implies the earliest exam window is November 13–15, 2026, unless the game gates exams behind story progress we cannot see pre-launch.
Sources
- Nintendo Direct segment — Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy (September 9, 2026) — accessed 2026-11-03
- Video Games Chronicle — Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition announcement — accessed 2026-11-03
- SimplyGames — product description — accessed 2026-11-03
- Gematsu — release date — accessed 2026-11-03
- Pikmin Bloom — Dandori Academy campaign (Nintendo) — accessed 2026-11-03
- Pikipedia — Dandori Academy (practice timing) — accessed 2026-11-03
- Game Informer — mode summary — accessed 2026-11-03
What we’ll update
- In-game exam calendar, timezone, and any story unlock requirements after November 12, 2026 launch.
- First live exam week (November 13–15, 2026) to confirm the Fri–Sun window matches real server behavior.
- Leaderboard and Nintendo Switch Online requirements once English in-game text or support articles publish them.
FAQ
What days are Dandori Academy exams available?
Can you practice Dandori Academy stages without using your exam attempt?
How many Dandori Academy stages are there?
When is the first exam weekend after launch?
Does Nintendo list a timezone for the weekly exam reset?
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