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2020/07/06

JLPT N5 test information part 2 application process

In my last post, I talked about the JLPT N5 test and explained what sort of test it is, and what you can expect when you want to take it. See link below:
JLPT N5 test information
So continuing on the same topic I am going to explain the application process a bit to help you get started on your own test.

I will also add a little disclaimer just in case. I used some examples here from an application PDF which is usually provided when looking up application sites. You can also easily look them up and access them yourself.
Therefore the images used in this blog are not mine and all the rights belong to the Japan Foundation. These images are only used as a simplified illustration of the JLPT application process, in the hope of walking others through the process.

JLPT aplication process


I will discuss these topics:
Are there any requirements to take it?
Where and when can you take them? (and how it works with the COVID regulations now)
How do you apply?
How much does it cost?
Other handy information

Are there any requirements to take it?


Are there any requirements that you need to fulfill to be applicable for this test? At least not in any terms of your capability. There are only guidelines to what you should have studied to be able to pass the test. However, there are no requirements for actually having studied. Even your next-door neighbor who knows nothing of Japanese can apply and get accepted for the examination.

There is however one requirement that all applicants must meet: you need to be a non-native Japanese speaker. The only exception would be Japanese native speakers who mostly lived overseas. Those could be accepted. Otherwise, as long as Japanese is not your native language, you can apply.

There is also no age restrictions and people with disabilities can also apply. You do however need to contact the local institution where the test is being held for inquiries. And you also need to send in a form. But depending on your location that could be different, so I suggest you look up the location and ask the staff there what the procedure is.

Where and when can you take them?

 (and how it works with the COVID regulations now)


So first of all when are these tests being held? They are only held twice a year:
  1. First Sunday of july
  2. First Sunday of december
Yes, you can only take the test on a Sunday, no other days are available. The main reason is that they are conducted at institutions like universities, schools, etc. So any other days the buildings are usually not capable of handling this many people for these tests. Because normally there is no max capacity, unless they really do not have enough space for the applicants, the applications can be sent in until the deadline date.
For July that would be about from early February til early April.
For December that should be around early August till late September.
But this can also vary per location so check the dates with your local institution. Also, keep in mind that not all locations offer tests at both the test dates. Some only offer tests in July or only in December.

Then the second most important point, where are these tests being held?
You can take these tests in countries all over the world. I will mainly focus on the area I'm currently in (which is west Europe). But if you want to look up other possibilities check the JLPT website.
You can look up all the local venues that organize the JLPT test on behalf of the Japan Foundation.
Follow the links below to the correct web pages.



I will list several locations you can pick when you live in West Europe. Mainly focusing on the Netherlands.

Netherlands
In the Netherlands, we have Leiden University which is the local partner here. They only very recently started organizing the JLPT tests in the Netherlands. However, we only have 1 test dat option and that is the first Sunday of July. When you check the JLPT website and select Leiden university you are quickly directed to the application page. (see link below)


Sadly enough due to the CIVID situation all the July tests around the world this year were canceled. This means in the Netherlands there is no option this year to take the test. So let's hope things improve enough that it can be held again next year.

What other options do we have around this area?
Quite a few actually for example: the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, France of Ireland. I guess if you wanted to combine it with a holiday you could also consider Spain or Italy. But the first countries mentioned are the most frequented by the Dutch. Because these are relatively closeby.

Belgium
For Belgium, we have two options, Leuven and Ghent.
These two institutions take turns in conducting the test. So one year it will be held in Leuven, and the next year in Ghent.
This year the test would have been held in Leuven, but it was canceled. In Leuven, the test can only be taken in July as wel.


Do not that there is no application information this dat, because the test was canceled.

The test in Ghent will be held in the 'uneven years' so next year it will be Ghent's turn. Ghent on the other hand holds the tests in December, not in July.


Because this year it was supposed to be held in Leuven, you can not apply for the test in Ghent.

Germany
In Germany, there are 3 cities where you can take the JLPT: Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and Hamburg.
All the July tests were also canceled. There is currently no information available on wether Hamburg will conduct tests in December. However, normaly there should be information on the site listen below.


Normally there would have been separate applications for Stuttgart and Dusseldorf. But because of this year's COVID problem, the July tests were canceled, and the December tests are being divided between the 2 institutions. This means the following:

Dusseldorf: Will only conduct N1, N2 and N3 !
Stuttgart: Will only conduct N4 and N5!
So double-check for the correct location.
Another thing is that because of COVID they now maintain an applicant limit. Normally you could apply until the deadline, but now the max capacity is set at around 250 persons. That is for all applicants in general, not per level.

(I still added the link for Stuttgart, bit it does not provide the needed information at the moment.)

United Kingdom
The U.K. has three possible test sites: London, Cardiff (Wales), and Edinbrugh (Scotland).
Both London and Edinburgh have July and December options, Cardriff only conducts the test in December.
Due to unfortunate circumstances, all tests for the year 2020 have been canceled. So there will also be no tests held in December in the U.K.

But never the less I will still list the links below for each institution.


I did not include France, because well my French skills are not what they used to and the sites are in French .... But you can look up the other institutions in the JLPT site mentioned above and find the other institutions with their sites there. So on to the next point, actually applying.

Also, keep in mind once you have registered at a location you can not switch to another location. 

How do you apply?

On the websites are usually also files with an explanation on how to apply. Most of them are actually conducted digitally. So you can hand everything in online without leaving your home. There are however a few things you should prepare, or have at home.

This is what it typically looks like:

Sorry if it is a bit unclear. I have close-ups further down for illustration.


After applying at your local institution you can do two or three things.
  1. The application is completely online. (had this at Leiden I believe)
    So basically you fill in everything when you apply.
  2. You apply and receive the application form by e-mail.
    Remember this for London but took a test there in 2015. So would not know the current procedure.
  3. you get a physical copy to fill in by hand.
But all the information you should give is the same. Either you can type it in digitally, or you fill it in by hand and use a scanner.

Step 1. Fill in your information.
This uncludes desired test level, desired test location, your (full) name, gender, and date of birth. And if need any special accommodations in case of disabilities. If the latter is the case there is a box you should check in the upper right corner. If you do not need anything of the sort leave it blank.

Note that you need to use the English alphabet letters (in capital) in the separate blocks. In the regular line, it does not matter.

1 fill in the desired test level at the top left corner.
2 Fill in the desired location next to it
3 Below the test level you can fill in your full name (in capital letters)
4 Below your name fill in your gender
5 Next to gender fill in your date of birth (year/month/day)
6 (optional) 8- digit code
7 Your native language


Some points you need to know when filling in your name. Let's take an example (Maria Christy van Bergen). I just randomly made that name, for all intents and purposes, this person is fictional.
  1. do not leave the first space open. Start your name in the first block
  2. Leave a space between every name you have
    1. MARIA (emty block) CHRISTY (emty block) VAN (emty block) BERGEN
  3. If in any case, your full name is longer than the 40 blocks provided, try using initials. (I know with the made-up Maria it will not be the case but let's pretend it is)
    1. MARIA (emty block) C. (emty block) VAN (emty block) BERGEN
  4. Also make sure that you can clearly see various letters 'U' vs 'V' 'O' vs 'D' etc. So it is clear to see which letter should be printed on your forms and certificate.
Info on the 8-digit code. (Bottom blocks on the left side)
  1. This step is optional, heard of people who have not filled it in and it was no problem.
  2. This code allows you to check the results (earlier) online, otherwise you will have to wait until the results are sent to you.
    Another side note it does not give the full score, but general pass/fail.
  3. You can fill in any 8-digit code you want, as long as it is only numbers. anything else will not work.
  4. Use numbers 0 to 9.
  5. It is ok to use the same number twice.
Native language.
  1. A form with codes is included with the application form. 
  2. Look up your language (in English + Japanese)
  3. Write down the listed code in your application form
Some notes.
The countries are divided by continent. Which makes it easier to search for. For Dutch for example look below.
You can see Dutch at the bottom with the code: 407
That is what you fill in at the blocs with native language.

And that is step 1. Now we will continue with the second part of the application form.

Step 2 Adress and study information
The top part you can fill in by hand, the rest you can select from information provided with the application form.

  1. Write down your address where you receive your mail in the first line.
    street, number, and or building if needed. Write down according to your local addressing method.
    Dutch example (fictional): rode wetering 25
  2. On the third line fill in your country, and next to that your postal code (below is fictional)
    1. Netherlands
    2. 1234 AB
  3. Phone number
    (keep in mind local codes in case of foreign countries)
  4. E-mail
    On the bottom line fill in your e-mail address. Any address will do, but in some cases, you might need to check your spam for any incoming mail.
And that is it for your address. I will list the study information below. Most of these are numbers with options listed in the application form.


  1. Fill in the institution where you are studying or have studied Japanese right below where you filled in your address.
    I personally don't know anyone who had a blank for that part, so if you never studied at an institution go for the last option.
  2.  You fill in the correct number fitting your situation for Where you are learning or have learned Japanese.
  3. Your reason for taking the exam, fill in the correct number matching your situation.
  4. Fill in the correct number that matches your current occupational situation the best.
  5. In case of employment: fill in the details of your occupation that match you the best
    You do not need to do this if you are a student.
  6. Encircle the methods with which you come in contact with Japanese outside a class/classroom situation.
    You can encircle more than one.
For all the points where you need to fill in a number, I added some examples below. Be sure to always check the application guides which you can access when you apply for a test. These have all the up-to-date information you need and are provided by every institution for every test.
Since so far these options have remained mainly the same I included them here. This is to provide some visuals with explanation.
Also depending on some answers you can skip some questions. Students for example can skip the occupational details question.

point 2

Point 3

Point 4

Point 5

Note that you only need to fill in point 5, if you are currently employed.
And also you can only select one number, so choose the one that fits your situation the best.

Point 6

And that is step 2 complete. Don't worry we are nearly finished. The next step contains the final information we need to provide.

Step 3 Daily communication in Japanese and test history

First some explanation, for each skill (speaking, listening, writing, and reading) you encircle the number next to the person you use that skill with.
Is there someone you do not practice all the skills with, leave the 'unused' skills blank.
If you do not practice any skill with the listed example person encircle 5.

So let's begin
  1. Encircle numbers listed after the person you practice a certain skill with
    1. teacher
    2. friends
    3. family
    4. supervisor
    5. colleagues
    6. customers
  2. Fill in the number of times you have taken a JLPT test
    if this is the first time, leave it blank.
    If you did, fill in the number of times you have taken a certain level.
  3. If you filled in a test by point 2, fill in whether you passed or failed
  4. Finally fill in your signature and the date.


Example for point 1
I put in an 'O' for encircled. And a number for uncircled.

                   speaking       listening        reading         writing         None of the above
Teacher:           O                 O                  O                   O                         5
You use all skills with your teacher

Friends:            O                 O                  3                    4                         5
You use speaking + listening skills with friends, not reading or writing

Supervisor:       1                  2                  O                    O                        5
You only use reading and writing skills with your supervisor.

Hope that has made it somewhat clearer. Now for the finishing touch. There are some final details we need to add. And we can send the application form.

Step 4 Add a photo and your address (again)
At the bottom of the form, you fill in your name and address again. This is for the mailing of your test results.

So again use capital letters for your name, and encircle wether you are addressed as Mr. or Ms.
Fill in your address and telephone number again.
Leave the examinee registration number at the bottom open again.

Now you only need to add a photo and you are done. The photo is necessary to make sure you are making your own test and not someone else. You also need an ID at the test location. But further details of that will be mentioned in part 3.

Some rules to which your photo must comply:
  1. 3~4 cm high x 3 cm wide.
  2. Taken within the past 6 months.
  3. Name + date of birth are written on the back.
    In the case of physical copy. If you upload it, it is obviously not necessary.
  4. Can be black and white or in colour.
  5. Can be taken with a digital camera.
  6. Borderless photos.
  7. Must be printed on photo paper (for physical copies).
What I usually use are Dutch passport photos. These fit the requirements perfectly. So make sure you have one at hand, or one on your computer for digital application.
For the last one in Leiden I needed to upload it digitally. For the one in London in 2015 I needed to send a physical copy with the application form.

What is not accepted:
  1. Photos larger or smaller than 3~4 cm high x 3 cm wide.
  2. Taken against a nonsolid background (dark/black background).
  3. Blurred photos.
  4. Your eyes are closed.
  5. You are wearing a hat.
  6. You are wearing sunglasses.
  7. Your hands are in the photo.
  8. Snapshots (like taken together with other people).
  9. Your face is too small/too big for the photo size.
  10. Colour photocopies.
  11. Photos printed on ordinary copy paper.
When all that is sent, you will receive a confirmation by E-mail. And then you only have to wait until the end of the application period, and give or take, 2 weeks after that you will receive your test voucher by E-mail. This can vary per location, but it is a general guideline.

I will discuss everything needed for the test day in part 3. Now we will go on to the last part.

How much does a JLPT test cost?

Of course, through the years the costs of these tests may change. So always check at your local institution for the exact costs.
Another thing to look out for is that the costs can vary per location. At least I have seen some differences in the past, in the current situation not all prices are listed because of the cancellations.
For example, if we use the Euro (our local coin). In the Netherlands, the last time I took a test was around 105 Euros, in the UK is around 100 Pounds (110 Euros). I've seen prices of 60 Euros in Germany before (2 years back) And I think the last time I checked Belgium it was around 70 to 80 Euro's I believe. But I could be wrong about the last one.

Most of the current locations do not provide a price at this time because there are no tests conducted. But all the tests are usually start from 60 to around 110 Euro. In most cases, 100 Euros is the max, but you will most likely get administrative costs. These are included in the extra 10 Euros. So keep that in mind if you want a cost indication.

Another frequently asked question: Do you have different fees for the different levels?
Usually, all the levels have the same fee. So no price difference there. But some locations might handle a different fee for different levels.

Other handy information

Also, take into account that you can only take 1 test at a time. You can never apply for 2 tests at once. All the different levels are taken on the same day and start at the same time. They just end at different times, so it is impossible to take more than 1 test.

Another point that is worth to mention that you do not need to start at the N5 level. I never took N5.
1. Because it did not exist in earlier years.
2. I took it some time after I graduated with a Japanese major.
So most of the lower levels were irrelevant, so I went straight for N2.

So hopefully this will give you some more insight on the application process. For the next part I will mostly discuss what happens on a usual testing day, and what you need to prepare before you go.
So until next time~ ^_^







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