If you’re studying Japanese, you’ll probably reach a point at which you want to get your skills certified to be able to put it in your CV for future professions. The certificate you’re looking for is the JLPT.

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability. The test is held twice a year in Japan and selected countries, on the first Sunday of July and December, and once a year in other regions, on the first Sunday of December.

The JLPT consists of five levels. Until 2009, the test had four levels, with 4 being the lowest and 1 being the highest level of certification.  JLPT certificates do not expire or become invalid over time.

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 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.

Those who have passed either N1 or N2, regardless of citizenship, are exempt from the Japanese language section of the middle school equivalency examination, which is required in order to enter a Japanese high school if the applicant did not graduate from a Japanese middle school.

At the Asahi Nihongo school, we provide preparation courses for all the levels you might desire to pass! Just ask our staff and we’ll gladly help you.