Japanese exams
Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT)
BJT will be discontinued from the year of 2011.
As its name suggests, the BJT is a proficiency test intended for people using Japanese in a business context. This test takes place twice a year (in February and November) in various locations in Japan and abroad. The locations include Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Oita in Japan and China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Hawaii abroad.
This is not a pass-fail exam, instead you receive a percentage score based on the number of marks that you receive with 800 marks being the maximum score. As a rough guide, this test approximates to somewhere between levels N1 and N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test though there is, of course, greater emphasis on business content and less on the academic aspects of the language.
The contents of the test focus on the vocabulary and phrases that are used in various business situations and written communication (faxes, email, internal memos, quotations and the like). There is also a listening component of the test, again with an emphasis on business usage.
For more details, see the official site.
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
JLPT N1 Preparation Course Available!
Check out the News page for the latest information.
This is the granddaddy of Japanese tests and has been keeping students up at night for years. The test has recently gone through something of a facelift with the levels and format changing a little. The highest level will probably retain the ability to reduce students to tears but the JLPT remains an excellent way for students of all abilities to assess their progress and attain a recognized qualification.
Since 2010 there are five levels, N5 (lowest) - N1 (highest) and the test is held twice a year (July and December) in many locations in Japan and abroad.
Each level has a maximum of 180 marks and students are rated as a pass or fail. In its new incarnation, the JLPT does not have published pass or fail percentages. In the previous format of the JLPT the pass mark of the highest level was 70% and that of the other levels was 60%. It seems fair to assume that the pass/fail percentages will be similar for the new format. The new format test does have a greater emphasis on communication with the listening component of the test being expanded for all levels. The content does, of course, still include a range of academically focused content in addition to the language of everyday conversation.
For more details, see the official site.
You may be wondering why these are called tests and not exams. We can’t answer that but can tell you that you will sweat over them like an exam, pay money to sit them like an exam and come away with a qualification when you pass. Enjoy the test.
