Few story arcs in My Hero Academia capture the raw tension of a hero’s progress quite like the exams. These tests serve as a crucible: a direct measure of skill, creativity, and emotional resilience. The series dedicates significant screen time to two major examination arcs — the original U.A. Entrance Exam and the later Provisional Hero License Exam — and each one reshapes the core cast in lasting ways. For both casual viewers and dedicated fans, understanding where the anime follows the manga and where it adds original material is essential to appreciating the storytelling. This breakdown examines the canon events that drive the plot forward, the filler content that offers extra character moments, and the ways these episodes influence the journey from student to pro hero.

The U.A. Entrance Exam Arc: Canon Foundations and Minimal Filler

The very first arc of the anime, spanning episodes 1 through 4, introduces the hero society through the lens of the U.A. High School Entrance Exam. Although the manga packs these events into four tight chapters, the anime adaptation expands certain sequences without straying into what most fans would label filler. The core story remains untouched: Izuku Midoriya, a Quirkless boy who inherits One For All from All Might, must channel that newly acquired power in a high-stakes practical test just hours after swallowing a strand of hair.

Canon Events of the Entrance Exam

The entrance exam serves as the first real test of Midoriya’s resolve, and every major moment aligns precisely with Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga. The canon structure can be broken down into several keystone events.

The Written Test. Before students ever face a robot, they sit for a grueling academic evaluation. While the anime only shows brief glimpses — characters staring at answer sheets, Bakugo’s confident scrawl — the manga confirms that Midoriya’s exhaustive study habits, honed during years of being Quirkless and desperate, allow him to pass comfortably. This quiet victory is often overshadowed by the explosive practical round, but it establishes Midoriya’s analytical nature as a genuine asset.

The Practical Exam Mechanics. The heart of the test is the mock cityscape battle against faux villains: three-point, two-point, and one-point robots. Present Mic’s loud explanation and the subsequent bus ride to the training grounds set the tone. Each participant must accumulate points by disabling robots, with a hidden twist: the 0-point Executor Villain is designed to be avoided, not fought. Manga panels and anime frames mirror each other as Midoriya freezes, watches others rack up points, and panics when time starts running out.

The Rescue Points and the 0-Pointer. The pivotal moment — Midoriya destroying the colossal 0-pointer to save Ochaco Uraraka — is a direct manga-to-anime translation. The scoring system reveals that heroism isn’t just about combat; the judges award rescue points for selfless acts. Midoriya’s broken limbs and last-second punch embody the spirit of a true hero, securing him 60 rescue points and a spot in Class 1-A. This sequence remains one of the most iconic canon milestones in the entire series.

Character Introductions and First Impressions. The entrance exam arc also introduces the personalities that will define the class dynamic: Uraraka’s cheerful tenacity, Tenya Iida’s rigid rule-following, and Bakugo’s explosive dominance. All of these beats are canon, drawn directly from the manga’s first volume.

Anime Adaptation: Pacing and Extended Sequences

Because four chapters of manga often don’t fill four full anime episodes with standard pacing, the production team added slight scene extensions without inventing new plotlines. The audience gets a longer look at the written exam room, extra reaction shots during Present Mic’s orientation, and a few additional seconds of robot-smashing chaos. These extensions do not alter the canon; they simply stretch the existing material to fit the runtime. For viewers who prefer a strict canon-only experience, the entrance exam arc can be watched in its entirety without any need to skip — no pure filler episodes exist here.

A common point of confusion arises when fans lump the entrance exam together with later arcs that also feature tests. The real filler discussion belongs primarily to a much later chapter in the story: the road to the provisional license.

The Provisional Hero License Exam Arc: A Canon and Filler Deep Dive

Starting at episode 51 (Season 3, Episode 13 in simulcast numbering) and continuing through episode 63, the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc picks up after the traumatic events of the Forest Training Camp and the Kamino Ward raid. With All Might retired and the Symbol of Peace gone, the hero course students must obtain temporary licenses to participate in official hero work. This arc, which adapts chapters 98–121 of the manga, blends intense canon development with one notorious filler episode and a handful of anime-original scenes in the remedial course that follows.

Canon Core of the Provisional License Exam

Horikoshi’s manga covers a dense narrative packed with new rivalries, tactical growth, and the psychological fallout of recent battles. The anime adaptation remains largely faithful to these events, making the canon easy to trace.

Arrival at the Exam Venue. Class 1-A travels to the National Dagobah Arena, a massive complex designed to host up to 1,540 examinees from hero schools across the country. The tension is immediate: competitors from prestigious institutions like Shiketsu High School loom as direct threats. The manga and anime both highlight the encounter with Inasa Yoarashi, the boisterous wind user whose intense personality immediately rubs Bakugo the wrong way, and Camie Utsushimi, the eccentric Shiketsu student whose role later proves far more sinister when her true identity is revealed as Himiko Toga in disguise.

The First Test: Ball-Throwing Exercise. The exam opens with a simple concept — hit six balls onto designated targets while maneuvering around other participants and obstacles — but the execution demands creativity and precision. Canon moments include Aoyama’s laser ricochet trick, Midoriya’s careful analysis of his opponents’ Quirks, and the revelation that many examinees have already developed Super Moves. This phase forces Class 1-A to realize they are not alone in their evolution.

The Second Test: Disaster Rescue Simulation. The definitive canon segment. Participants must rescue civilian dummies and report to professional actor “victims” while avoiding penalties from the evaluators, who actively sabotage rescue efforts. The manga’s genius lies in the introduction of the Help Us Company, professionals trained to behave like terrified or uncooperative civilians. Scenes where Midoriya puts lessons from his internship with Gran Torino into practice, Iida adapts his rigid mindset to comfort a distressed child, and Todoroki uses his ice to create safe paths are all manga-authentic. The strategic interplay between U.A., Shiketsu, and the proctors builds toward the climactic clash with Gang Orca, who arrives to simulate a villain attack mid-rescue. The eventual passing results — 100 of the 100 U.A. first-years passing, but Bakugo and Todoroki failing due to interpersonal flaws — are entirely canon and set up the next phase of their growth.

Filler Content Within the Exam Arc

While the overall arc adheres closely to the manga, the anime inserts filler content that, depending on the viewer’s patience, either enhances character dynamics or distracts from the main plot. The most significant example is a standalone filler episode, plus extended sequences during the remedial course.

Episode 58: “Special Episode: Save the World with Love!” Placed right between the villain attack on the license exam venue and the start of the remedial course, this episode is a pure anime invention. A TV network within the My Hero Academia universe hosts a slow news day, and the characters watch a bizarrely edited romantic skit that mashes together clips of pro heroes in awkward, pseudo-romantic scenarios. The humor is deliberately over-the-top, and while it provides a bit of levity after the intense Kamino arc, it contributes nothing to canon. No manga chapter matches this content, and the story progression halts entirely. For a canon-only viewing, skipping this episode entirely is the clearest choice.

Extended Remedial Course Scenes. Episodes 59 through 63 cover the remedial license training for Bakugo, Todoroki, Camie (actually Toga’s disguise at this point), and Inasa, as well as the rest of Class 1-A’s ongoing internships. The manga touches on these events briefly, but the anime expands them into a mini-arc. Gang Orca’s role as the instructor for the failed students, the “Masegaki Elementary School” activity, and the children’s harsh criticism of the hero trainees all originated in the manga. However, the anime adds original gags, extended interactions with the kids, and additional banter between Bakugo and the Shiketsu students. These scenes are not filler in the traditional sense — they don’t contradict the manga — but they pad out the timeline. The core character development — Bakugo learning to communicate without anger, Todoroki confronting his father’s legacy — remains intact, but viewers who measure every frame against the printed page will notice the anime-only dialogue and sight gags.

Impact on Character Growth

The examination arcs function as a crucible for the entire cast, but three main characters experience transformations that echo through every subsequent season.

Izuku Midoriya. The entrance exam teaches him that raw power borrowed from All Might is meaningless without control and resolve. He internalizes the need for strategy, which manifests later in his shoot style development. During the provisional license exam, Midoriya learns to read the battlefield quickly, anticipate danger to civilians, and adapt his movements to minimize self-harm. These canon realizations are the bedrock of his eventual mastery over One For All.

Katsuki Bakugo. The license exam arc marks Bakugo’s first undeniable failure at something he considered beneath him. His aggressive demeanor and inability to cooperate with civilians cause him to lose his provisional license, shattering the myth of his invulnerable strength. The remedial course forces him to interact with children who mock his attitude, and the anime adaptation — both canon and added scenes — hammers home his slow, painful understanding that a hero must earn respect, not demand it.

Shoto Todoroki. Todoroki’s failure stems from his internal conflict with Endeavor, which surfaces during the second test when he freezes up against a villain actor. The canon beat where Gang Orca effortlessly counters his ice forces Todoroki to recognize the limitations of relying on half of his Quirk. In the remedial course, the forced partnership with Inasa, who despises Endeavor, pushes Todoroki to finally articulate his drive to become a hero on his own terms. The anime preserves these moments faithfully, making them essential viewing despite minor filler padding.

The supporting cast also gains meaningful arcs: Ochaco Uraraka’s grappling techniques, Tsuyu Asui’s trauma and recovery, and Yuga Aoyama’s fleeting moments of sincerity all emerge from the canon material, enhanced but never overwritten by the anime’s additions.

How to Watch the Exams Arc: A Canon-Optimized Approach

For viewers who want to stick strictly to manga-canon content while enjoying the anime, a simple episode guide helps navigate the provisional license arc without wasting time.

  • Episode 51–57: Core canon. Watch all of these to follow the exam’s setup, the ball-throwing test, and the disaster rescue simulation culminating in Bakugo and Todoroki’s failure.
  • Episode 58: Skip entirely. This filler special adds no story value and interrupts the narrative flow.
  • Episode 59–63: Watch with awareness. The remedial course plot is mostly canon, but be prepared for anime-original comedic scenes. The character milestones for Bakugo and Todoroki are pivotal and should not be missed.

By following this guide, viewers can experience the full emotional weight of the exams without stumbling into the lighthearted detours intended for hardcore fans seeking extra content. For many, the filler episode and padded scenes offer welcome breathing room after the relentless tension of the Hideout Raid arc, but understanding their place in the overall narrative helps keep the viewing experience sharp.

Both the U.A. Entrance Exam Arc and the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc are documented in detail across fan wikis, with episode-by-episode breakdowns for those who want even more granularity. Streaming platforms like Crunchyroll host the full anime catalog, making it easy to apply any skip strategy. The exams remind everyone that heroism is not a title but a continuous test — one that never truly ends, even after the scores are tallied.