About the Japanese Language NAT-TEST
Overview of the Exam
The Japanese Language NAT-TEST is an examination that measures the Japanese language ability of students who are not native Japanese speakers. The tests are separated by difficulty (five levels) and general ability is measured in three categories: Grammar/Vocabulary, Listening and Reading Comprehension. The format of the exam and the types of questions are equivalent to those that appear on the Japanese Language Ability Test (JLPT)
Schedule of NAT Test
TEST |
TEST DATE
|
APPLICATION |
1st |
February 12, 2017 (Sunday) |
January 13, 2017 (Friday) |
2nd |
April 19, 2017 (Sunday) |
March 10, 2017 (Friday) |
3rd |
June 11, 2017 (Sunday) |
May 12, 2017 (Friday) |
4th |
August 6, 2017 (Sunday) |
July 7, 2017 (Friday) |
5th |
October 15, 2017 (Sunday) |
September 15, 2017 (Friday) |
6th |
December 10, 2017 (Sunday) |
November 10, 2017 (Friday) |
Number of Times Held
NAT-TEST: Six times per year
Exam Pass Criteria
1) Scoring more than 25% on each individual section.
2) Achieving an overall score that exceeds the passing score for the exam (typically around 60%).
Administration of the NAT-TEST
The administration of the NAT-TEST is handled entirely by the Administration Committee of Senmon Kyouiku Publishing Co. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan). The tests are operated by the Regional Office of each country. The Committee provides Regional Offices technical assistance and support to operate the NAT-TEST correctly and ensure the integrity of testing.
Overview of the Examination Process
Here you will find an overview of all NAT-TEST related events, from applying for the exam, to exam day itself, all the way through to when you receive your results.
The flow of events
-
Application – Available until the application deadline has passed for that particular exam
-
Receiving your application ticket – 1-2 weeks before the day of the exam
-
Taking the Exam – On your specified exam day
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Receiving your score report and certificate of proficiency – Approx. 3 weeks after the exam
Application
Please apply for the examination before the application deadline. Your application will be complete once we have received the registration fee.
Receiving your application ticket
After you have completed your application, we will send you the application ticket to the specified mailing address and e-mail address. You will receive this as late as one week before exam day. If you have not received your application ticket, please contact us.
Your name, examinee number, date of birth, gender and photograph are all printed on the application ticket. Please check your application ticket to make sure that all the information is accurate and nothing is missing.
Taking the exam
Before the exam starts
Please arrive at the testing location by the time that is specified on your application ticket. As a rule, levels 1, 3 and 5 of the exam will take place in the morning and levels 2 and 4 will take place in the afternoon. Once you have entered the testing location, please follow the directions of all proctors and staff members.
Identity confirmation
In order to uphold the integrity of the exam, we will confirm the identity of each examinee before the test begins. Please bring a valid photo ID with you to the exam.
During the exam
The exam will take place according to the following schedule:
Level 1 |
Language Knowledge (reading, vocabulary, grammar), Reading Comprehension: 110 min, Listening Comprehension: 60 min |
Level 2 |
Language Knowledge (reading, vocabulary, grammar), Reading Comprehension: 105 min, Listening Comprehension: 50 min |
Level 3 |
Language Knowledge (reading, vocabulary): 30 min Language Knowledge (grammar), Reading Comprehension: 70 min, Listening Comprehension: 40 minage |
Level 4 |
Language Knowledge (reading, vocabulary): 30 min Language Knowledge (grammar), Reading Comprehension: 60 min, Listening Comprehension: 35 min |
Level 5 |
Language Knowledge (reading, vocabulary): 25 min Language Knowledge (grammar), Reading Comprehension: 50 min, Listening Comprehension: 30 min * The exact time allotted for the listening section may differ slightly based on the length of the recordings. |
Receiving your score report and certificate of proficiency
Within 3 weeks of the exam date, we will send a score report to all examinees. Your strengths and weaknesses on the test will all be visible at a glance. This will also be useful to help guide you along in your future Japanese studies.
For those who pass, a certificate of proficiency will be issued along with the score report. This is shows that you have passed the examination and can be used to as proof of your Japanese language ability.