Kanji Kentei

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Kanji Kentei ( Japanese 漢字 検 定 , sometimes abbreviated as Kanken ) is a test to test Kanji skills. The full Japanese name ( Nihon kanji nōryoku kentei shiken 日本 漢字 能力 検 定 試 験 ) means "Japanese Kanji Competence Test".

Implementation, levels of difficulty

Developed for native Japanese speakers , the test has also become increasingly popular for Japanese learners. It is carried out three times a year. A total of 741,377 candidates took part in the Kanji Kentei in March 2015.

There are 12 levels (10 to 3, Pre-2, 2, Pre-1 and 1), with 10 being the lowest and 1 being the highest. The test examines the ability to read and write Kanji, understand their meaning and be able to use them correctly in sentences, as well as knowledge of the correct stroke sequences and stroke numbers.

Approx. 80% of the participants are in the initial stages. In general, a native speaker high school graduate (12th grade) with average ability can be expected to pass the pre-2 test with little preparation. Level 1, on the other hand, is so difficult that only around 1000 people take part nationwide, of which usually only up to 150 exist. For this outstanding achievement, the Japanese society shows the successful graduates the greatest respect, even honor.

The test lasts 60 minutes. The required number of correct answers is 80% for levels 10 to 8, 70% for levels 7 to Pre-2, and 80% for 2, Pre-1 and 1.

Test levels

Level 10

Examination subject:

  • 80 kanji learned in the first year of elementary school.

Level 9

Examination subject:

  • 240 kanji to be learned by the end of grade 2 of elementary school.

Level 8

Examination subject:

  • 440 kanji learned by the end of grade 3 of elementary school, including On readings and Kun readings , stroke sequences, writing skills, ability to use the characters in sentences, and the names of radicals .

Level 7

Examination subject:

  • 640 Kanji learned by the end of Year 4 of Elementary School, including On and Kun readings, stroke sequences, writing skills, ability to use characters in sentences and names of radicals.
  • Word opposites pairs.
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • idiomatic expressions and words composed of kanji.

Level 6

Examination subject:

  • 825 Kanji learned by the end of Year 5 of Elementary School, including On and Kun readings, stroke sequences, writing skills, ability to use the characters in sentences, and the names of radicals.
  • knowledge of pairs of opposing words.
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • idiomatic expressions and words composed of kanji.

Level 5

Examination subject:

  • 1006 Kanji learned by the end of Year 6 of Elementary School (so-called Kyouiku Kanji), including On and Kun readings, stroke sequences, writing skills, ability to use the characters in sentences and radical names.
  • Knowledge of pairs of opposing words.
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • idiomatic phrases and compound words from 4 kanji.
Level 5 roughly corresponds to Kanji ability to pass level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test .

Level 4

Examination subject:

  • 1006 kanji learned by the end of grade 6 of elementary school, plus 300 standard kanji
  • On and Kun readings and the ability to use the characters in sentences.
  • Reading comprehension approx. 1300 characters, writing approx. 900
  • The knowledge of pairs of opposing words and synonyms.
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • idiomatic phrases and compound words from 4 kanji
  • Radicals and Use of a Kanji Lexicon

level 3

Examination subject:

  • 1006 kanji learned by the end of grade 9 of high school, plus 600 standard kanji
  • On and Kun readings and the ability to use the characters in sentences.
  • Reading comprehension approx. 1600 characters
  • special or unusual Kanji readings
  • Ateji ( 当 て 字 )
  • The knowledge of pairs of opposing words and synonyms
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • idiomatic phrases and compound words from four kanji
  • Radicals and Use of a Kanji Lexicon

Stage Pre-2

Examination subject:

  • the Kanji learned by the end of 11th grade.
  • On and Kun readings
  • Use of Kanji in sentences
  • Reading comprehension of all 1945 standard Kanji
  • special and unusual Kanji readings
  • Ateji
  • Word contrast pairs and synonyms
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • special compound words
  • complex radicals
Level Pre-2 roughly corresponds to the Kanji ability to pass level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test .

Level 2

Examination subject:

  • The Kanji that are learned by the end of school (high school, 12th grade): Reading comprehension and writing of all 2136 (from 2010) standard Kanji, 284 important name Kanji ( 人名 用 漢字 , Jinmeiyō Kanji ).
  • On and Kun readings and the ability to use the characters in sentences.
  • special and unusual Kanji readings
  • Ateji
  • Word contrast pairs and synonyms
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • special compound words.
  • complex radicals and the composition of kanji

Stage Pre-1

Examination subject:

  • Reading comprehension and writing about 3000 Kanji (her on and kun readings)
  • Use of Kanji in sentences, context selection
  • special and unusual Kanji readings
  • "Ateji"
  • The knowledge of pairs of opposing words and synonyms
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • special compound words
  • complex radicals
  • Kanji that only exist in Japanese
  • classic Japanese proverbs / idiomatic expressions

step 1

Examination subject:

  • Reading comprehension and writing about 6000 Kanji with On and Kun readings
  • Use of Kanji in sentences, context selection
  • special and unusual Kanji readings.
  • "Ateji"
  • Opposite words and synonyms
  • Differentiation between identical words
  • special compound words
  • complex radicals
  • Kanji that only exist in Japanese
  • classic Japanese proverbs / idiomatic expressions
  • Place and country names
  • Recognize the relationship between modern and ancient or ancient character shapes.

See also

Footnotes

  1. a b Felix Lill: Not the forest for all the signs. Even native speakers surrender to the abundance of Kanji - a Chinese-Japanese character writing . In: Die Zeit from May 7, 2015, p. 38.
  2. 各級 の 出 題 内容 と 審査 基準 | 漢 検 の 概要 | 日本 漢字 能力 検 定. Retrieved August 26, 2018 .
  3. 各級 の 出 題 内容 と 審査 基準 | 漢 検 の 概要 | 日本 漢字 能力 検 定. Retrieved August 26, 2018 .

Web links