Kanji kentei

The Nihongo|Japanese Kanji Aptitude Test|日本漢字能力検定試験|Nihon Kanji Nōryoku Kentei Shiken, also known as nihongo|Kanji Kentei|漢字検定|, or Kanken, is a test of kanji ability.

There are 12 levels (levels 10 through 3, pre-2, 2, pre-1 and 1) with level 10 being the lowest and level 1 the highest. The test examines ability to read and write kanji, to understand their meanings and use them correctly in sentences, and to identify correct stroke order. Developed for native speakers of Japanese, the test has become increasingly popular with foreign students of the language.

The lower levels have around an 80% pass rate for native speakers, whereas level 1 is so difficult that only about one thousand people take it each time it is offered, and of those 1000, only about 150 pass. Generally a college-educated native speaker of average ability could be expected to pass level pre-2 with perhaps a slight amount of studying.

Sixty minutes are allotted to take the test. The score required to pass is 80% for level 8, 70% for levels 7 through pre-2, and 80% for 2, pre-1, and 1.

Test levels and skills

Level 10

* Tests the 80 kanji learned in the first grade of elementary school; see Level 10 kanji.

Level 9

* Tests the 240 kanji learned up to the second grade of elementary school; see Level 9 kanji.

Level 8

* Tests the 440 kanji learned up to the third grade of elementary school, including on readings and kun readings, stroke order, writing ability, ability to use in sentences, and the names of radicals.

Level 7

* Tests the 640 kanji learned up to the fourth grade of elementary school, including on readings and kun readings, stroke order, writing ability, ability to use in sentences, and the names of radicals.
* Tests knowledge of antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests idiomatic phrases and kanji compound words

Level 6

* Tests the 825 kanji learned up to the fifth grade of elementary school, including on readings and kun readings, stroke order, writing ability, ability to use in sentences, and the names of radicals.
* Tests knowledge of antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests idiomatic phrases and three-kanji compound words

Level 5

* Tests the 1006 kanji learned up to the sixth grade of elementary school (the kyoiku kanji), including on readings and kun readings, stroke order, writing ability, ability to use in sentences, and the names of radicals.
* Tests knowledge of antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests idiomatic phrases and four-kanji compound words

Level 4

* Tests the kanji learned up to the sixth grade of elementary school, plus an additional 300 daily use kanji (常用漢字 jōyō kanji)
* Tests on readings and kun readings, and the ability to use kanji in sentences
* Requires the ability to read about 1300 characters, and write about 900
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests idiomatic phrases and four-kanji compound words
* Tests knowledge of radicals required to use a kanji dictionary

Level 3

* Tests the kanji learned up to the sixth grade of elementary school, plus an additional 600 daily use kanji
* Tests on readings and kun readings, and the ability to use kanji in sentences
* Requires the ability to read about 1600 characters
* Tests special or unusual kanji readings
* Tests ateji (当て字), phonetic readings of characters
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests idiomatic phrases and four-kanji compound words
* Tests knowledge of radicals required to use a kanji dictionary

Level pre-2

* Tests the kanji learned in the first two years of high school (approximately 16-17 years of age)
* Tests on readings and kun readings, and the ability to use kanji in sentences
* Requires the ability to read all of the daily use kanji (1945 characters)
* Tests special or unusual kanji readings
* Tests ateji
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests special compound words
* Tests complex radicals

Level 2

* Tests the kanji learned through high school: requires the ability to read and write all of the 1945 daily use kanji (jōyō kanji), and knowledge of the 284 kanji used in names (jinmeiyō kanji, 人名用漢字)
* Tests on readings and kun readings, and the ability to use kanji in sentences
* Tests special or unusual kanji readings
* Tests ateji
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests special compound words
* Tests complex radicals and composition of kanji

Level pre-1

* Tests the ability to read and write approximately 3000 kanji, with their on readings and kun readings
* Requires the ability to use the kanji in sentences and to choose the most appropriate kanji for a given context
* Tests special or unusual kanji readings
* Tests ateji
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests special compound words
* Tests complex radicals
* Tests kanji unique to the Japanese language
* Tests classical Japanese proverbs and idiomatic expressions

Level 1

* Tests the ability to read and write approximately 6000 kanji, with their on readings and kun readings
* Requires the ability to use the kanji in sentences and to choose the most appropriate kanji for a given context
* Tests special or unusual kanji readings
* Tests ateji
* Tests knowledge of synonyms and antonyms
* Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
* Tests special compound words
* Tests complex radicals
* Tests kanji unique to the Japanese language
* Tests classical Japanese proverbs and idiomatic expressions
* Tests place and country names
* Tests the ability to recognize the relationship between modern and ancient or old character forms

ee also

*Chinese character
*Japanese Language Proficiency Test
*Japanese language
*Learning kanji
*J-Test

External links

*http://www.kanken.or.jp - Official page of the kanji kentei (Japanese only)
*http://www.kentei.co.jp - Online kanji kentei test (Japanese only)
* [http://www.taipansoftware.com/kanji/explore.php Kanji Explorer] - Browse kanji and jukugo
* [http://lernmaterialien.mkengel.de/ Free writing exercise sheets] for kyoiku, joyo and JIS-X-0208-1990 kanji. Additionally, JLPT writing exercise sheets and exercise sheets for the Kanji kentei test.