Business Japanese Proficiency Test

The Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT) (ビジネス日本語能力テスト Bijinesu Nihongo Nōryoku Tesuto) is a test designed to objectively measure a person's proficiency at communication using Japanese in a business environment. This contrasts with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which tests general Japanese.

As of 2013 there are 25 test centers in 4 countries around the world. Seven of the centers are in Japan.

History

The test was first offered in 1996 and was revised in 2003. It was originally administered by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). In April 2009, however, administration duties changed to the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Public Interest Foundation: the same organization that administers the Kanji kentei.[1][2]

On August 18, 2010, it was announced that the test would "be discontinued at the end of the current fiscal year".[3] However, on November 25, 2010, it was announced that the test would be "relaunched".[4]

The Test

All questions are multiple choice, a candidate must choose from four possible answers. It consists of three sections:

Test Number of Questions Duration
The listening test 35 questions 50 minutes.
The listening and reading test 30 questions 30 minutes.
The reading test 35 questions 40 minutes

The test is scored out of a possible 800. Different score levels are awarded levels, ranging from J5 (lowest) to J1+ (highest); the levels are J5, J4, J3, J2, J1, and J1+.

Notes

  1. ↑ "BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test". JETRO. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  2. ↑ "BJT: Contact Us". Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Public Interest Foundation. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  3. ↑ Mizuho Aoki and Reiji Yoshida (2010-08-19). "Business-Japanese proficiency test doomed by profit fall". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
  4. ↑ "Important Notice". 2010-11-25. Retrieved 2011-07-05.

External links