Kanji kentei

The kanji kentei (漢字検定, sometimes shortened to simply kanken), is a test of Chinese character ability. The full Japanese name (Nihon kanji nōryoku kentei shiken　日本漢字能力検定試験) is "The Japanese kanji Aptitude Test."

Developed for native speakers of Japanese, the test has become increasingly popular with foreign students of the language.

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.

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

Sixty minutes are alloted 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.

Contents

1 Test levels and skills 1.1 Level 10 1.2 Level 9 1.3 Level 8 1.4 Level 7 1.5 Level 6 1.6 Level 5 1.7 Level 4 1.8 Level 3 1.9 Level pre-2 1.10 Level 2 1.11 Level pre-1 1.12 Level 1 2 Related topics 3 External links

Test levels and skills

Level 10

• Tests the 80 kanji learned in the first grade of elementary school. Level 10 kanji

Level 9

• Tests the 240 kanji learned up to the second grade of elementary school.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 opposite words
• 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 opposite words
• 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 opposite words
• Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
• Tests idiomatic phrases and four-kanji compound words
  • Level 5 corresponds roughly to the kanji ability needed to pass level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

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 opposites and synonyms
• 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 4 corresponds roughly to the kanji ability needed to pass level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

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 opposites and synonyms
• 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 up to the third grade of junior high school (equivalent to the 9th grade)
• 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 opposites and synonyms
• 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 opposites and synonyms
• 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 opposites and synonyms
• Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
• Tests special compound words
• Tests complex radicals
• Tests kanji unique to the Japanese language
• Tests classical Japanese proverbs 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 opposites and synonyms
• Tests ability to differentiate between homonyms
• Tests special compound words
• Tests complex radicals
• Tests kanji unique to the Japanese language
• Tests classical Japanese proverbs idiomatic expressions
• Tests place and country names
• Tests the ability to recognize the relationship between modern and ancient or old character forms

Related topics

• Chinese characters
• Japanese Language Proficiency Test
• Japanese

External links

• 財団法人 日本漢字能力検定協会 (official page of the kanji kentei)(Japanese only)
  • http://www.kanken.or.jp/
• http://www.kentei.co.jp/ - Regristration for computer based Kanji Kentei

ja:日本漢字能力検定