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. Japanese (,  ) is a language spoken by over 130 million people, mainly in Japan, but also by Japanese emigrant communities around the world. ... Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an acquired language. ...

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. Level 4 is normally reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study. ^[1]

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 Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students, more commonly referred to as simply the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU), is a standardized test that began in 2002 as a replacement for both the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and the General Examination for Foreign Students, the latter...

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] The Japan Foundation (jap. ...

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.

Exam

The next test will be on the 3rd of December 2006, and the one thereafter on the 2nd of December 2007.

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

Exam Sections

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. Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji Kanji (Japanese:  ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Hindu-Arabic numerals. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji Kanji (Japanese:  ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Hindu-Arabic numerals. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 Hiragana ) are a Japanese syllabary, one of the four Japanese writing systems, along with katakana, kanji and rōmaji (i. ...

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.

Part Three: Reading Comprehension and Grammar - 200 points

Approximately 20 to 30 questions regarding particles and verb or adjective conjugations, 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. In linguistics, the term particle is often employed as a useful catch-all lacking a strict definition. ... Paraphrasing is the act in which a statement or remark is explained in other words or another way, as to clarify the meaning. ...

Duration of Each Section

Results

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

See also

• Foreign Service Level 3
• Kanji kentei

The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale is a set of descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language. ... The Kanji Kentei (漢字検定, sometimes shortened to Kanken), is a test of kanji ability. ...

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

October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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

External links

• JEES Japanese Language Proficiency Test Homepage
• Harushi.com's JLPT study material and tools Kanji and Vocabulary for JLPT level 2,3 & 4
• MLC School's Download Page Past JLPT Exam papers and related downloads
• JLPT Study Page Vocabulary, Kanji, Expression and Grammar lists for JLPT Levels 2,3 & 4
• JLPT CommunicationSquare The Japan Foundation's JLPT Page in English
• JLPT Forum & Simulation Exams JLPT Test Forum