JLPT NEWS:
- Official Website: Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)

Background:
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) was first held in 1984 by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) in order to measure and certify Japanese language learners. Although only 7,000 people took the test in its first year, the number of examinees rose to about 770,000 by 2009. The JLPT is now the largest-scale Japanese language examination in the world.

In addition to measuring Japanese-language ability for academic purposes, test results are now also used by employers to assess job seekers’ credentials and evaluate employees for promotion and recognition. Students use the test to demonstrate their language ability when applying to educational institutions, study abroad programs, internships, etc. As the number of students of Japanese-language has increased, it has become apparent that the test must be revised to meet the diverse and changing needs of Japanese-language learners.

The New JLPT:
By evaluating past test outcomes and developments in Japanese pedagogy and test theory over the past 25 years, the Japan Foundation and JEES have revised the content of the JLPT and in 2010 the New Japanese Language Proficiency Test was created. The New Japanese Language Proficiency Test is divided into five levels of ability. Level 1 is the most difficult while Level 5 is the easiest. Each test has three sections: character-vocabulary, listening, and reading-grammar.