JPT（Japanese Proficiency Test）

“THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE EXAMS, AND IT IS CONVENIENT TO BE ABLE TO CHECK GRADES ON THE APP.
I THINK IT IS A TEST THAT HAS A VERY HIGH AFFINITY WITH CORRESPONDENCE EDUCATION.”

When considering recruitment for the original program (Foreign Student Acceptance Program) for foreign nationals, which was opened in April 2022, we also consulted with the Kyoto Bunka Japanese Language School, which is an affiliated school, and confirmed the Japanese language proficiency required for application. I was looking into the Japanese Language Proficiency Test as a means to do so. At that time, I learned about JPT from a Japanese language school that taught me about it. In many cases, students who wish to apply for this university have a relatively short period of time from making a decision to applying. IN THAT RESPECT, JPT HAS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE EXAMS, AND IT HAS CONVENIENCE SUCH AS BEING ABLE TO CHECK GRADES ON THE APP, SO WE DECIDED TO ADOPT IT BECAUSE IT HAS A HIGH AFFINITY WITH DISTANCE LEARNING.

≪About Correspondence Education Department≫

The correspondence course was established in 1998 and is currently a comprehensive arts university with over 13,000 enrolled students (2022 survey), one of the largest among arts universities. It consists of 4 departments and 17 courses in total, including departments and courses that can be graduated by completely online learning, and many students gather from all over the country and overseas. The age group is also wide ranging from 18 to 96 years old, and there are deep exchanges between various regions and generations.

"We feel that JPT’s registration procedure is a lot simpler and easier, and our students can take the test regardless of their Japanese language ability"

Since JLPT and EJU for the year of 2020 have been canceled, we feel that it would be better for our students to have a certification to prove and help them choose their study paths than not having anything at all. The greatest point we feel about JPT is that students are able to take the test regardless of their level. By that we mean, we could know and measure the ability of each students based on the test. And also the test is conducted every month. Furthermore, the application procedure is so easy. The first time we decided to use JPT, there were a lot of questions, but the quick responses helped a lot. A lot of students lost their motivations because of COVID-19, but now, because of the existence of JPT, they now have a new goal, it feels like they have taken back their motivations.

“At the same time as being able to measure students' abilities,
I feel it's good that students' hidden strengths are made visible.”

At a Japanese language school that will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024, we have been providing Japanese language instruction by establishing preparation classes tailored to the characteristics of each exam, such as EJU (Japanese University Examination for International Students for International Students) and JLPT. JLPT In this case, the exams differ depending on the certification level, and the opportunity to take the exam is limited to twice a year, so students tend to be cautious in order to steadily pass the exam. On the other hand, the JPT test can be taken every month and is equivalent to the N1 to N5 level. I thought that the JPT test would not only allow students to take on challenges, but also expand their chances as it can be used to prove Japanese language proficiency and for university entrance exams.

When students actually took the exam, One of my students, who I thought had the same ability in both reading and listening comprehension, was actually weak in one of them, and now I know what to focus on in teaching. One student who thought he was steadily reaching the N2 level turned out to have the ability to aim for N1. I feel that it is good for JPT to be able to measure the current abilities of students, and at the same time to visualize students' hidden abilities. Students also seem to have a clearer idea of ​​what they need to work harder to reach their goals. Students who have achieved results at the N1 level will have their scores recognized and can be recommended to a designated school. Students whose scores are a little short of the required score should immediately reapply and achieve And this time they cleared the target score. It was also helpful that the test results were available quickly, within two weeks from the test date.