Nihongo Kentei


The Nihongo Kentei is a standardized test of Japanese language proficiency for native Japanese language speakers. The test is held twice a year, in June and November; approximately 300,000 people sit the examination every year.
In 2011, the test was sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT).
WWW nihongokentei.jp𝕏 nihongo_kentei

Overview

The Nihongo Kentei was created to assess overall ability in the Japanese language. The questions focus on more obscure and difficult areas of the Japanese language, such as proficiency in Kanji, the use of honorifics, and extended vocabulary. Although intended for native speakers, the exam is open to all applicants.
It is not to be confused with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which is intended for non-native Japanese speakers.

Features

Questions in the Nihongo Kentei fall into six categories.
  1. 敬語 (Honorifics)
  2. 文法
  3. 語彙
  4. 言葉の意味
  5. 表記
  6. 漢字 (Kanji)
The test consists of practical Japanese questions, designed to evaluate the candidate's understanding of Japanese. These highlight areas of strength and weaknesses.

Criteria for certification

Source:
There are two types of certifications for each level, depending on the percentage scored.
Successful applicants must score more than 50% for all the six categories mentioned above. If results in any category fall below the category threshold, the candidate will not be certified. Note that 1級 refers to the best possible grade, and 7級 refers to the worst.
級 Test timeThreshold PercentageCategory thresholdCertification
1級 60min80% or more50% or more1級
1級 60min70-80%50% or more準1級
2級 60min75% or more50% or more2級
2級 60min65-75%50% or more準2級
3級 60min70% or more50% or more3級
3級 60min60-70%50% or more準3級
4級 50min70% or more50% or more4級
4級 50min60-70%50% or more準4級
5級 50min70% or more50% or more5級
5級 50min60-70%50% or more準5級
6級 50min70% or more50% or more6級
6級 50min60-70%50% or more準6級
7級 50min70% or more7級
7級 50min60-70%準7級