Japanese Language Proficiency Test

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The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験 Nihongo nōryoku shiken?), or JLPT, is a standardized test to evaluate a person's Japanese language proficiency - primarily in reading and listening. The test is held once every year on the first Sunday of December.

There are four grades or levels of proficiency (with a separate exam for each) beginning at level 4 and progressing to level 1 - the most difficult. The organization conducting the exam yearly gives estimates that level 4 is reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study.[1]

Contents

[edit] History and Statistics

The JLPT was first held in 1984, in response to growing demand for standardized Japanese language certification for non-native speakers. Up until 2003, the JLPT was one of the requirements for foreigners entering Japanese University. Since 2003, the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used by most universities for this purpose. [2]

The JLPT is offered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) inside of Japan, and the Japan Foundation outside of Japan. In 2004, the JLPT was offered in 40 countries, including Japan. Of the 302,198 examinees in that year, 47% (around 140,000) were certified for their respective level. [3]

[edit] Content

The content of the test is determined by the Test Content Specification (出題基準 Shutsudai kijun?). The Test Content Specification was first published in 1994 and partially revised in 2002 and serves as a reference for those compiling test questions rather than as a study guide for teachers or students. This situation requires the JLPT student to obtain past exam papers or other publications that reference the Test Content Specification in order to determine what to study.

With the exception of an English foreword, the specification is written completely in Japanese and consists of kanji lists, expression lists, vocabulary lists and grammar lists for all four JLPT levels.

The JLPT exam does not currently require the examinee to write in Japanese, as all of the questions are multiple choice. The questions classified as writing involve choosing the correct word or grammar to complete a sentence, or choosing which kanji is used in a particular word.

[edit] Exam

The next test will be on the 2nd of December 2007.

JLPT Requirements
Level Kanji Vocabulary Listening Hours of Study Pass Mark
4 ~100 (103) ~800 (728) Basic ~150 60%
3 ~300 (284) ~1,500 (1409) Intermediate ~300 60%
2 ~1000 (1023) ~6,000 (5035) High Level ~600 60%
1 ~2000 (1926) ~10,000 (8009) Sufficient for life in Japan ~900 70%

Numbers in brackets indicate the exact number in the current Test Content Specification (Revised Edition, 2004).

[edit] Exam Sections

[edit] Part One: Letters (Kanji) and Vocabulary - 100 points

The first part of the exam has an average of between 35 and 45 questions that require knowledge of kanji letters and Vocabulary. That is, identifying the right kanji character; selecting the correct katakana and hiragana reading; and choosing the most appropriate word for a given sentence.

[edit] Part Two: Listening Comprehension - 100 points

Consists of two sections. The first, involves identifying the correct picture from a selection of four, based on a given conversation. In section two, a conversation is also heard but four possible answers are given orally.

[edit] Part Three: Reading Comprehension and Grammar - 200 points

Approximately 20 to 30 questions regarding grammatical constructions, and 20 to 30 questions based on reading comprehension are given in Part Three. These may include fill-in-the-blank parts of a conversation and answering problems or paraphrasing.

[edit] Duration of Each Section

Level Kanji and Vocabulary Listening Comprehension Reading Comprehension and Grammar Total
4 25 mins 25 mins 50 mins 100 mins
3 35 mins 35 mins 70 mins 140 mins
2 35 mins 40 mins 70 mins 145 mins
1 45 mins 45 mins 90 mins 180 mins

[edit] Results

Exams take several months to process, so results are announced in February for examinees in Japan, and March for overseas candidates. They are given to the examinee through the testing organisation or centre to which the examinee applied.

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ What is the JLPT like?. Japan Foundation. Retrieved on October 8, 2006.
  2. ^ What is EJU?. Japan Student Services Organisation. Retrieved on May 30, 2006.
  3. ^ JEES, pages 88,99

[edit] References

  • The Japan Foundation and Association of International Education, Japanese Language Proficiency Test: Test Content Specifications (Revised Edition), Japan, 2004. ISBN 4-89358-281-X
  • JEES & The Japan Foundation, The 2004 Language Proficiency Test Level 3 and 4 Questions and Correct Answers, 2005. ISBN 4-89358-586-X

[edit] External links

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