The New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)

Contents
What sort of test is the JLPT? 4 key points of the new JLPT New test F !s "ore #uestions?

What sort of test is the JLPT?

$ The test e%a&uates an' certifies Japanese&anguage proficiency of non-nati%e speakers( $ )t has o%er *+ years of history since its esta,&ish-ent in ./04( $ The test has ,een 1oint&y con'ucte' ,y the Japan Foun'ation an' Japan 2'ucationa& 23changes an' 4er%ices (J224)(

Why has the JLPT ,een re%ise'?

The

nu-,er of Japanese-&anguage &earners has increase'(

Their reasons for &earning an' using the &anguage ha%e ,eco-e -ore 'i%erse(

The o&' JLPT unti& *++/ was re%iewe' an' re%ise'( )t ,eca-e the new JLPT fro- *+.+(

4 key points of the new JLPT

.( )ncrease' focus on co--unicati%e co-petence *( The nu-,er of &e%e&s was increase' to 56 e3a-inees can se&ect a -ore suita,&e &e%e& 7( The scoring -etho' was re%ise' to ensure -ore accurate -easure-ent of Japanese&anguage proficiency 4( What you can 'o in Japanese is easi&y %isua&i8e'

. )ncrease' focus on co--unicati%e co-petence

Japanese-&anguage proficiency that the new JLPT -easures
9now&e'ge of the Japanese &anguage:
;ow -uch an app&icant knows a,out the Japanese &anguage< inc&u'ing %oca,u&ary an' gra--ar

,( Co-petence:
;ow we&& an app&icant -akes use of &anguage know&e'ge in practica& co--unication

"easure' through 7 test sections

Language Language 9now&e'ge 9now&e'ge
(=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar) (=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar)

@ea'ing @ea'ing

Listening Listening

* The nu-,er of &e%e&s was increase' to 56 e3a-inees can se&ect a -ore suita,&e &e%e&
Level

Summary of Linguistic Competence Required for Each Level

N1 The a,i&ity to un'erstan' Japanese use' in a %ariety of circu-stances N2 The a,i&ity to un'erstan' Japanese use' in e%ery'ay situations an' in a %ariety of circu-stances to a certain 'egree N3 The a,i&ity to un'erstan' Japanese use' in e%ery'ay situations to a certain 'egree N4 The a,i&ity to un'erstan' ,asic Japanese N The a,i&ity to un'erstan' so-e ,asic Japanese

Le%e& N1

Correspon'ing Le%e&s of New an' A&' Tests ppro3i-ate&y the sa-e &e%e& as the o&' Le%e& . test< ,ut 'esigne' to -easure s&ight&y -ore a'%ance' a,i&ities ppro3i-ate&y the sa-e &e%e& as the o&' Le%e& * test Positione' at a &e%e& ,ri'ging the o&' Le%e& * an' Le%e& 7 tests New&y esta,&ishe'

N2 N3

N4 N

ppro3i-ate&y the sa-e &e%e& as the o&' Le%e& 7 test ppro3i-ate&y the sa-e &e%e& as the o&' Le%e& 4 test

A&' JLPT scores: @aw scores

The scoring -etho' was re%ise' to ensure -ore accurate -easure-ent of Japanese-&anguage proficiency
Ca&cu&ate' ,y the nu-,er of correct&y answere' #uestions

New JLPT scores: 4ca&e' scores

The sa-e co-petency is gi%en the sa-e nu-,er of points

in each test The sa-e sca&e is a&ways use' to ca&cu&ate scores for the sa-e-&e%e& test The highest 'egree of fairness can ,e -aintaine'< as sca&e' scores ne%er f&uctuate ,ase' on the 'ifficu&ty &e%e& of tests 4ca&e' scores can in'icate an app&icantBs proficiency -ore accurate&y than raw scores 'o

23a-p&e: -sanCs test resu&ts in raw scores an' sca&e' scores

-san took N* &e%e& tests in Ju&y as we&& as in Dece-,er( Ee&ow are his Listening test resu&ts(

N* Listening The nu-,er of correct&y answere' #uestions

4core per ite- F Nu-,er of correct&y answere' #uestions

Ju&y .+ out of *+ *+ *+
* 3 .+

Dece-,er
!ore difficult than "uly test#

.+ out of *+ *+ *5
* 3 .+

Eoth nu-,ers are the sa-e< .+(

@aw scores 4ca&e' scores

Not sure if $%san&s listening a'ility improved( Clear that $%san&s listening a'ility improved(

The 'ata shown is on&y an e3a-p&e to e3p&ain the new JLPT scoring syste-< not for actua& score ca&cu&ation(

4 What you can 'o in Japanese is easi&y %isua&i8e'

Japanese-Language

Proficiency Test GCan-'oH List (tentati%e na-e) wi&& ,e re&ease' ,y "arch *+..(

4a-p&e

Listening ) can un'erstan' the genera& content when ) hear

announce-ents at schoo&< work or pu,&ic p&aces(

4peaking ) can speak in 'etai& of -y hopes an' e3perience

at inter%iews such as for a 1o, or part-ti-e work(

@ea'ing ) can un'erstan' the content of newspaper or Writing

) can write &etters or e-ai&s to e3press -y e-otions such as appreciation or apo&ogy(

-aga8ine artic&es a,out topics ) a- intereste' in(

With the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test GCan-'oH &ist<

Test resu&t

JLPT HCan-'oH List

Passe' GN?H

) see( Those who passe' the GN ?H test T;AI?;T they cou&' 'o these acti%ities with the Japanese &anguage in stu'y< work an' 'ai&y &ife(

We can ,etter un'erstan' the test resu&ts in ter-s of practica& Japanese-&anguage use(

New test F !s
! ;ow wi&& the test sections an' ti-es change?
Level N1 N2 N3 N4 N Test 4ections an' Test Ti-es
Language 9now&e'ge (=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar) @ea'ing ..+ -in Language 9now&e'ge (=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar) @ea'ing .+5 -in
Language 9now&e'ge
(=oca,u&ary)

Listening J+ -in Listening 5+ -in Listening 4+ -in Listening 75 -in Listening 7+ -in

7+ -in Language 9now&e'ge

(=oca,u&ary)

Language 9now&e'ge (?ra--ar) @ea'ing K+ -in Language 9now&e'ge (?ra--ar) @ea'ing J+ -in Language 9now&e'ge (?ra--ar) @ea'ing 5+ -in

7+ -in Language 9now&e'ge

(=oca,u&ary)

*5 -in

! ;ow shou&' ) 'eci'e which test &e%e& to take? - 4ee the ta,&e G4u--ary of Linguistic Co-petence @e#uire' for 2ach Le%e&H - 4ee the ta,&e GCorrespon'ing Le%e&s of New an' A&' TestsH - 4ee the ,ook GNihongo Nouryoku 4hiken

"on'airei-4huuH (New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test 4a-p&e !uestions) on our officia& we,site

! ;ow can ) recei%e test resu&ts?

Le%e& 4coring 4ections
Language )no*ledge +,oca'ulary-.rammar# Reading Listening /otal Score
Language )no*ledge +,oca'ulary-.rammar# Reading

@ange of 4cores J+ J+ J+ .0+ .*+ J+ .0+

N. N* N7 N4 N5

Listening

/otal Score

4cores are in'icate' ,y sca&e' scores(

Listening section proportion increase' fro- .:4 to .:7(

Le%e&

Test 4ections
Language 9now&e'ge (=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar) @ea'ing Listening

)n test

Correspon'ing 4ections

)n test resu&ts
@ange of scores

4coring 4ections
Language 9now&e'ge
(=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar)

N1 N2 N3

+LJ+ +LJ+ +LJ+ +LJ+ +LJ+ +LJ+ +L.*+ +LJ+

@ea'ing Listening
Language 9now&e'ge
(=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar)

Language 9now&e'ge (=oca,u&ary) Language 9now&e'ge (?ra--ar) @ea'ing Listening

@ea'ing Listening Language 9now&e'ge

(=oca,u&ary>?ra--ar)

N4 Language 9now&e'ge (=oca,u&ary) Language 9now&e'ge (?ra--ar) N @ea'ing

Listening

@ea'ing Listening

! ;ow is pass or fai& 'eter-ine'?

Mou nee' to take a&& test sections( Mou nee' to fu&fi&& ,oth an' ,e&ow(

A&' JLPT
Tota& 4core
Le%e& .: -ore than K+ Le%e& *-4: -ore than J+

New JLPT
tota& score nee's to ,e at or a,o%e the point re#uire' for passing score in each scoring section nee's to ,e at or a,o%e the -ini-u- point re#uire' for passing

Fai&ure to e3cee' the -ini-u- point for any scoring section wi&& resu&t in a 'eter-ination of fai& for the entire test< e%en if your tota& score is a,o%e the -ini-u- accepta,&e tota& score( "ini-u- accepta,&e scores for the tota& an' for each scoring section wi&& ,e announce' in 4epte-,er *+.+ for N.< N* an' N7( For N4 an' N5< they wi&& ,e announce' in "arch *+..(

! Can ) pass ,y stu'ying the way ) ha%e ,een 'oing? 4hou&' ) change the way ) stu'y?
The way you ha%e ,een stu'ying wi&& sti&& work( P&ease note that the new JLPT p&aces i-portance not on&y on know&e'ge of the Japanese &anguage ,ut a&so on co-petence in using the know&e'ge in practica& co--unication( "ake use of G"on'airei-4huu(H These sa-p&e #uestions co%er a&& #uestion sty&es at a&& &e%e&s< an' they wi&& he&p you prepare for the test(

! When wi&& the new test ,e he&'?

Twice a year< in Ju&y an' Dece-,er( NCertain countries>areas wi&& on&y offer the test in Dece-,er an' not in Ju&y( )n *+.+< the test 'ates are Ju&y 4th an'
NThe Ju&y *+.+ test inc&u'es N.< N* an' N7
on&y( NFro- the Dece-,er *+.+ test onwar's< a&& fi%e &e%e&s wi&& ,e inc&u'e'(

Dece-,er 5th(

! Where is the test a'-inistere' outsi'e Japan ?

4ee GList of A%erseas Test 4ite Cities an' Loca& ;ost )nstitutionsH on our officia& we,site( Mou can fin' cities an' countries>areas offering the test( Mou can a&so see if &oca& host institutions offer the test in Ju&y an'>or Dece-,er(

"ore !uestions?
JLPT officia& we,site we&co-es youO http:>>www(1&pt(1p>e>
Lots of infor-ation< such as the JLPT ?ui'e,ook< sa-p&e #uestions< Listening au'io sa-p&es< F !s an' -ore are waiting for you(

4en' your in#uiries in Japanese or 2ng&ish fro- the in#uiry page of the officia& we,site(
N)n#uiries

regar'ing the JLPT outsi'e Japan on&y( For in#uiries on JLPT a'-inistration in Japan< p&ease ca&& J224< the JLPT a'-inistrator in Japan(