The JLPT stands for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, known in Japanese as 日本語能力試験 (Nihongo Nouryoku Shiken). This is a standardised test which is aimed at non-native speakers which covers three main areas: language knowledge, reading ability and listening ability.
The JLPT was first held in 1984 and is now held in over 40 countries. In Japan and some countries it is held twice a year in July and December. In others it is only held once a year.
Many of those studying the Japanese language would have heard of this test. Anyone can take it, as long as they apply for it (usually online). There is a small test fee of around 5000yen (in Japan). It was necessary for foreign students to pass a certain level if they wanted to attend university in Japan. Of course, there are other reasons for taking it. Usually, Japanese companies ask that foreign applicants have a certain level of the JLPT. And of course, some people take it for themselves as a test of their language learning. However, a large portion of the time, the JLPT is only really useful within Japan, or at some Japanese companies overseas. It is not so well known to companies outside of Japan.
Levels
There are different levels to the test, and the structure of each test is also different. There are five levels: N1 is the highest level, and N5 is the lowest.
- N5: The ability to understand some basic Japanese, such as being able to read hiragana, katakana and only basic kanji, or listen to short, slow-spoken conversations on everyday topics.
- N4: The ability to understand basic Japanese. This has a little more kanji, and you should be able to follow conversations on everyday topics.
- N3: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. Of course, there is more kanji to know, as well as more complex grammar. You should be able to understand information like newspaper headlines, as well as follow conversations at near-natural speed.
- N2: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances. for example, reading newspaper and magazine articles, simple critiques on general topics, listening to natural speech on everyday topics and understanding the relationships of the people involved. More kanji.
- N1: The ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances. This includes more complex writings on different topics, and understand spoken new reports and lectures in different settings. EVEN MORE KANJI!
As you can probably guess, the N1 level is the most requested by companies and universities, but N2 is also valuable. N3 is a new level that was added in 2010, when the whole system was changed, so for the time being, it is hard to say what degree of relevance it will have on non-native speakers living or working in Japan. Nevertheless, I still believe it is useful to achieve.
When I was in Japan, I took the N3 level. Luckily I passed! It was by one mark but still, a pass is a pass! I aim to continue studying and taking more tests in the future. There were a lot of people taking N3 level, so it should bode well for this level's success in the future.
The July JLPT test was taken on 6th July in Japan. So I want to wish my friends and everyone that took it good luck for their results!
