Japanese Language Proficiency Test
Encyclopedia
The , or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test
to evaluate and certify Japanese language
proficiency for non-native speakers.
The JLPT was expanded to five levels
in 2010, with passing Level N5 denoting simple language abilities, and Level N1 denoting advanced language abilities. The test is held twice a year in Japan
on the first Sunday of July and December, and once a year in other regions on the first Sunday of December.
From 1984 to 2009 the test had 4 levels, with Level 4 testing basic-level materials and Level 1 testing advanced-level materials (see kyū
). In 2010, a new level was inserted between the old 2 and 3, meaning the current N5 corresponds to the old Level 4. In 2008, the Japanese government announced a plan under consideration to use the JLPT to screen applicants for long-term and permanent resident visas.
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. The number of candidates continued to rise to 559,056 in 2008, while the percentage of candidates certified has fallen below 36%. In 2009, when a revised system was introduced in which two exams are held each year in East Asia, a total of 768,114 people took the exam. In 2010, 610,000 people took the test.
through the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES). Overseas, the Japan Foundation
co-proctors test administration with local cultural exchange and/or educational institutions, or with committees specially established for this purpose.
of test scores.
The addition of the new N3 was been done to address the problem of the difficulty gap between level 3 to 2: in the past there have been requests for revisions to address the fact that examinees who have passed the Level 3 test often have trouble with passing the Level 2 test because of the large gap in those two levels. There was also a desire to measure abilities more advanced than those targeted by the current Level 1 test, hence the top level exam was modified.
The correspondence is as follows:
The revised test continues to test the same content categories as the original, but the first and third sections of the test have been combined into a single section. Sections on oral and writing skills were not introduced. Further, a requirement to pass individual sections was added, rather than only achieving an overall score.
In addition, a "Reference Information" section is provided on the report card; this is purely informational – for the examinee’s future studies – and is not used in determining if an examinee has passed. The grade given is based on the raw score, and is either A, B, or C, accordingly as the raw score was 67% or above, between 34% and 66%, or below 34%. This reference information is given for vocabulary, grammar, and reading on the N4 and N5, and for vocabulary and grammar (but not reading) on the N1, N2, and N3. In both cases, this breaks down the score on the "Language Knowledge" section into separate skills, but in neither case is performance on the listening section analyzed.
lists, expression lists, vocabulary lists, and grammar lists for all five JLPT levels. However, about 20% of the kanji, vocabulary, and grammar in any one exam may be drawn from outside the prescribed lists at the discretion of exam compilers.
Numbers in brackets indicate the exact number in the Test Content Specification
Independent source by the Japanese Language Education Center publishes the following study hour comparison data:
The first section (文字･語彙, moji, goi) tests knowledge of vocabulary and various aspects of the Japanese writing system
. This includes identifying the correct kanji characters for given situations, selecting the correct hiragana
readings for given kanji, choosing the appropriate terms for given sentences, and choosing the appropriate usage of given words.
The second section (聴解, chōkai) comprises two sub-sections that test listening comprehension. The first involves choosing the picture which best represents the situation presented by a prerecorded conversation. The second is of a similar format but presents no visual clues.
Section three (読解･文法, dokkai, bunpō) uses authentic or semi-authentic reading passages of various lengths to test reading comprehension. Questions include prompts to fill in blank parts of the text and requests to paraphrase
key points. Grammar questions request that examinees select the correct grammar
structure to convey a given point or test conjugations and postpositional particle agreement.
Criterion-referenced test
A criterion-referenced test is one that provides for translating test scores into a statement about the behavior to be expected of a person with that score or their relationship to a specified subject matter. Most tests and quizzes written by school teachers are criterion-referenced tests. The...
to evaluate and certify Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
proficiency for non-native speakers.
The JLPT was expanded to five levels
Kyu
is a Japanese term used in martial arts, chadō, ikebana, go, shogi such as Japanese traditional culture, and academic tests and in other similar activities to designate various grades or levels or class of proficiency or experience...
in 2010, with passing Level N5 denoting simple language abilities, and Level N1 denoting advanced language abilities. The test is held twice a year in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on the first Sunday of July and December, and once a year in other regions on the first Sunday of December.
From 1984 to 2009 the test had 4 levels, with Level 4 testing basic-level materials and Level 1 testing advanced-level materials (see kyū
Kyu
is a Japanese term used in martial arts, chadō, ikebana, go, shogi such as Japanese traditional culture, and academic tests and in other similar activities to designate various grades or levels or class of proficiency or experience...
). In 2010, a new level was inserted between the old 2 and 3, meaning the current N5 corresponds to the old Level 4. In 2008, the Japanese government announced a plan under consideration to use the JLPT to screen applicants for long-term and permanent resident visas.
History and statistics
The JLPT was first held in 1984 in response to growing demand for standardized Japanese language certification. Initially 7,000 people took the test. Until 2003, the JLPT was one of the requirements for foreigners entering Japanese universities. Since 2003, the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used by most universities for this purpose; unlike the JLPT, which is solely a multiple-choice exam, the EJU contains sections which require the examinee to write in Japanese.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. The number of candidates continued to rise to 559,056 in 2008, while the percentage of candidates certified has fallen below 36%. In 2009, when a revised system was introduced in which two exams are held each year in East Asia, a total of 768,114 people took the exam. In 2010, 610,000 people took the test.
Administration
In Japan, the JLPT is administered by the Ministry of Educationthrough the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES). Overseas, the Japan Foundation
Japan Foundation
The was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
co-proctors test administration with local cultural exchange and/or educational institutions, or with committees specially established for this purpose.
Revised test
A revised test pattern was implemented in 2010 (it was originally scheduled to be implemented from December 2009). The revised test consists of five levels: N1, N2, N3, N4, and N5, with N1 being the highest level and N5 the easiest. No Test Content Specification will be published as it is discouraged to study from kanji and vocabulary lists.Changes
Two changes in levels of tests were made: firstly, a new level was inserted between the old level 3 and level 2, and secondly, the content of the top level exam (old level 1) was changed to test slightly more advanced skills, though the passing level was not changed, possibly through equatingEquating
Test equating traditionally refers to the statistical process of determining comparable scores on different forms of an exam. It can be accomplished using either classical test theory or item response theory....
of test scores.
The addition of the new N3 was been done to address the problem of the difficulty gap between level 3 to 2: in the past there have been requests for revisions to address the fact that examinees who have passed the Level 3 test often have trouble with passing the Level 2 test because of the large gap in those two levels. There was also a desire to measure abilities more advanced than those targeted by the current Level 1 test, hence the top level exam was modified.
The correspondence is as follows:
- N1: slightly more advanced than the original level 1, but the same passing level
- N2: the same as the original level 2
- N3: in between the original level 2 and level 3
- N4: the same as the original level 3
- N5: the same as the original level 4
The revised test continues to test the same content categories as the original, but the first and third sections of the test have been combined into a single section. Sections on oral and writing skills were not introduced. Further, a requirement to pass individual sections was added, rather than only achieving an overall score.
Scoring
Passing is based on scaled scores – raw scores are not directly used to determine passing, nor are they reported, except in rough form in the "Reference Information" section. Raw scores are converted to a standard scale, so that equivalent performance on tests from different years and different levels of difficulty yields the same scaled score. The scaled scores are reported, broken down by section, and these are the scores used to determine passing.In addition, a "Reference Information" section is provided on the report card; this is purely informational – for the examinee’s future studies – and is not used in determining if an examinee has passed. The grade given is based on the raw score, and is either A, B, or C, accordingly as the raw score was 67% or above, between 34% and 66%, or below 34%. This reference information is given for vocabulary, grammar, and reading on the N4 and N5, and for vocabulary and grammar (but not reading) on the N1, N2, and N3. In both cases, this breaks down the score on the "Language Knowledge" section into separate skills, but in neither case is performance on the listening section analyzed.
Pass marks
Passing the test requires both achieving an overall pass mark for the total points, and passing each section individually; these are based on the scaled scores. The sectional scores are to ensure that skills are not unbalanced – so one cannot pass by doing well on the written section but poorly on the listening section, for instance. The overall pass mark depends on the level and varies between 100/180 (55.55%) for the N1 and 80/180 (44.44%) for the N5. The pass marks for individual sections are all 19/60 = 31% – equivalently, 38/120 = 19/60 for the large section on the N4 and N5. Note that the sectional pass levels are below the overall pass level, at 31% instead of 44.44%–55.55%: one need not achieve the overall pass level on each section. These standards were adopted starting in July 2010, and do not vary from year to year, with the scaling instead varying.| Level | Overall pass mark | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar） | Reading | Listening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | 100 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| N2 | 90 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| N3 | 95 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| Total possible | 180 points | 60 points | 60 points | 60 points |
| N4 | 90 points | 38 points | 19 points | |
| N5 | 80 points | 38 points | 19 points | |
| Total possible | 180 points | 120 points | 60 points | |
Test sections
| Level | Test section (test time) |
Total duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading (110 min) |
Listening (60 min) |
170 min | |
| N2 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading (105 min) |
Listening (50 min) |
155 min | |
| N3 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (70 min) |
Listening (40 min) |
140 min |
| N4 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (60 min) |
Listening (35 min) |
125 min |
| N5 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (25 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (50 min) |
Listening (30 min) |
105 min |
- Note: "Vocabulary" includes kanji and vocabulary (previous 文字・語彙)
Content
| Level | Kanji | Vocabulary | Listening/Conversation | Time of Study (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | ~2,000 | ~10,000 | Fluent | 900hrs |
| N2 | ~1,000 | ~6,000 | Advanced/Business | 600hrs |
| N3 | Upper-Intermediate | |||
| N4 | ~300 | ~1,500 | Lower-Intermediate/Conversational | |
| N5 | ~100 | ~800 | Basic | 150hrs |
Results
Results are announced the following February for examinees in Japan, and March for overseas candidates. Test results are sent to the examinees through the testing organization or centre to which they applied. All examinees receive a report indicating their scores by section. Those who pass also receive a Certificate of Proficiency.| Year | |JLPT in Japan | 2007 | 1 kyū | 47,761 | 42,923 | 14,338 (33.4%) | 135,616 | 110,937 | 28,550 (25.7%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kyū | 34,782 | 31,805 | 11,884 (37.4%) | 186,226 | 152,198 | 40,975 (26.9%) | |||
| 3 kyū | 16,808 | 15,710 | 8,664 (55.1%) | 143,252 | 113,526 | 53,806 (47.4%) | |||
| 4 kyū | 3,908 | 3,383 | 2,332 (68.9%) | 64,127 | 53,476 | 27,767 (51.9%) | |||
| 2008 | 1 kyū | 52,992 | 46,953 | 18,454 (39.3%) | 138,131 | 116,271 | 38,988 (33.5%) | ||
| 2 kyū | 41,924 | 38,040 | 16,289 (42.8%) | 187,482 | 157,142 | 58,124 (37.0%) | |||
| 3 kyū | 22,016 | 20,351 | 13,304 (65.4%) | 147,435 | 120,569 | 69,605 (57.7%) | |||
| 4 kyū | 4,524 | 3,903 | 2,765 (70.8%) | 65,877 | 55,828 | 31,227 (55.9%) | |||
| 2009-1 | 1 kyū | 29,274 | 26,578 | 11,738 (44.2%) | 103,349 | 87,104 | 28,230 (32.4%) | ||
| 2 kyū | 26,437 | 24,793 | 9,279 (37.4%) | 130,753 | 110,266 | 27,543 (25.0%) | |||
| 2009-2 | 1 kyū | 46,648 | 41,998 | 12,293 (29.3%) | 137,708 | 114,725 | 26,427 (23.0%) | ||
| 2 kyū | 36,528 | 33,807 | 12,462 (36.9%) | 176,628 | 147,328 | 41,488 (28.2%) | |||
| 3 kyū | 17,703 | 16,675 | 9,360 (56.1%) | 131,733 | 108,867 | 51,903 (47.7%) | |||
| 4 kyū | 3,212 | 2,932 | 2,155 (73.5%) | 61,995 | 53,041 | 29,529 (55.7%) | |||
| 2010-1 | N1 | 26,225 | 23,694 | 9,651 (40.7%) | 73,863 | 62,938 | 19,402 (30.8%) | ||
| N2 | 24,738 | 23,126 | 13,768 (59.5%) | 87,889 | 74,874 | 32,530 (43.4%) | |||
| N3 | 6,947 | 6,280 | 3,051 (48.6%) | 42,227 | 32,100 | 12,574 (39.2%) | |||
| 2010-2 | N1 | 40,041 | 36,810 | 12,774 (34.7%) | 100,689 | 87,763 | 25,781 (29.4%) | ||
| N2 | 27,947 | 26,020 | 11,679 (44.9%) | 106,402 | 91,996 | 30,460 (33.1%) | |||
| N3 | 8,363 | 7,665 | 3,501 (44.9%) | 56,236 | 45,906 | 18,883 (41.1%) | |||
| N4 | 7,764 | 7,317 | 3,716 (50.8%) | 48,613 | 41,484 | 19,235 (46.4%) | |||
| N5 | 2,065 | 1,870 | 1,458 (78.0%) | 43,676 | 38,128 | 22,846 (59.9%) | |||
| 2011-1 | N1 | 24,716 | 22,782 | 6,546 (28.7%) | 89,744 | 76,991 | 20,519 (26.7%) | ||
| N2 | 19,203 | 17,957 | 9,057 (50.4%) | 92,015 | 79,716 | 30,216 (37.9%) | |||
| N3 | 5,642 | 5,211 | 2,511 (48.2%) | 36,841 | 29,507 | 13,230 (44.8%) | |||
| N4 | 3,643 | 3,358 | 1,431 (42.6%) | 19,010 | 15,453 | 5,802 (37.5%) | |||
| N5 | 716 | 649 | 464 (71.5%) | 12,346 | 10,510 | 6,108 (58.1%) | |||
Application period
The application period is usually around early March until late April for July's examination and around early August until late September for December's examination.Previous format (1984-2009)
All instructions on the test are written in Japanese, although their difficulty is adjusted to remain appropriate to each test level. The subject matter covered at each level of the examination is based upon the , first published in 1994 and revised in 2004. This specification serves as a reference for examiners to compile test questions, rather than as a study guide for candidates. It consists of kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
lists, expression lists, vocabulary lists, and grammar lists for all five JLPT levels. However, about 20% of the kanji, vocabulary, and grammar in any one exam may be drawn from outside the prescribed lists at the discretion of exam compilers.
| Level | Kanji | Vocabulary | Listening | Time of Study (est.) | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | ~100 (103) | ~800 (728) | Basic | 150 hrs (A Basic course level) | 60% |
| 3 | ~300 (284) | ~1,500 (1409) | Intermediate | 300 hrs (A Intermediate course level) | |
| 2 | ~1000 (1023) | ~6,000 (5035) | Intermediate | 600 hrs (An Intermediate course level) | |
| 1 | ~2000 (1926) | ~10,000 (8009) | Advanced | 900 hrs (An advanced course level) | 70% |
Numbers in brackets indicate the exact number in the Test Content Specification
Independent source by the Japanese Language Education Center publishes the following study hour comparison data:
| Level | Students with kanji knowledge (e.g. Asian students) |
Other students (no prior kanji knowledge) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 200~300 hours | 250~400 hours |
| 3 | 375~475 hours | 500~750 hours |
| 2 | 1100~1500 hours | 1400~2000 hours |
| 1 | 1800~2300 hours | 3100~4500 hours |
Test sections
The JLPT is divided into three sections: "Characters and Vocabulary" (100 points), "Listening Comprehension" (100 points), and "Reading Comprehension and Grammar" (200 points).The first section (文字･語彙, moji, goi) tests knowledge of vocabulary and various aspects of the Japanese writing system
Japanese writing system
The modern Japanese writing system uses three main scripts:*Kanji, adopted Chinese characters*Kana, a pair of syllabaries , consisting of:...
. This includes identifying the correct kanji characters for given situations, selecting the correct hiragana
Hiragana
is a Japanese syllabary, one basic component of the Japanese writing system, along with katakana, kanji, and the Latin alphabet . Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems, in which each character represents one mora...
readings for given kanji, choosing the appropriate terms for given sentences, and choosing the appropriate usage of given words.
The second section (聴解, chōkai) comprises two sub-sections that test listening comprehension. The first involves choosing the picture which best represents the situation presented by a prerecorded conversation. The second is of a similar format but presents no visual clues.
Section three (読解･文法, dokkai, bunpō) uses authentic or semi-authentic reading passages of various lengths to test reading comprehension. Questions include prompts to fill in blank parts of the text and requests to paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase is restatement of a text or passages, using other words. The term "paraphrase" derives via the Latin "paraphrasis" from the Greek , meaning "additional manner of expression". The act of paraphrasing is also called "paraphrasis."...
key points. Grammar questions request that examinees select the correct grammar
Japanese grammar
The Japanese language has a regular agglutinative verb morphology, with both productive and fixed elements. In language typology, it has many features divergent from most European languages. Its phrases are exclusively head-final and compound sentences are exclusively left-branching. There are many...
structure to convey a given point or test conjugations and postpositional particle agreement.
| Level | Kanji and vocabulary |
Listening comprehension |
Reading comprehension and grammar |
Total duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 25 min | 25 min | 50 min | 100 min |
| 3 | 35 min | 35 min | 70 min | 140 min |
| 2 | 35 min | 40 min | 70 min | 145 min |
| 1 | 45 min | 45 min | 90 min | 180 min |
See also
- ILR scaleILR scaleThe Interagency Language Roundtable scale is a set of descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language. It was originally developed by the Interagency Language Roundtable, which included representation by United States Foreign Service Institute, the predecessor of the National Foreign...
- Kanji kenteiKanji kenteiThe , also known as , or , is a test of kanji ability.There are 12 levels with level 10 being the easiest and level 1 the most difficult. The test examines ability to read and write kanji, to understand their meanings and use them correctly in sentences, and to identify correct stroke order...
- Business Japanese Proficiency TestBusiness Japanese Proficiency TestThe Business Japanese Proficiency Test is a test administered by the Japan External Trade Organization , designed to objectively measure a person's proficiency at communication using Japanese in a business environment. there were 34 test centres in 14 countries around the world...
- J-TestJ-TestThe J-Test was introduced in 1991 as a test for conducting objective measurement of the Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers. Broadly based on the format of a listening test, the exam attempts to gauge practical proficiency in Japanese....
- Test of Proficiency in Korean
- Mandarin Proficiency Test (HSK)Hànyu Shuipíng KaoshìThe Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, , abbreviated as HSK, is the People's Republic of China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese, and members of ethnic minority groups in China...
External links
- 日本語能力試験 JLPT (japanese), the official JLPT website
- The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, the official English-language website by JEES and the Japan Foundation
- JapaneseLanguage Proficiency Test, worldwide JLPT examinees association.