OSAKA - The Japanese government has asked Japanese-language schools nationwide to consider using alternatives to the commonly used exam known as the JLPT as a surge in applicants seeking work and student visas has strained testing capacity, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The number of applicants for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test has risen sharply since the government started requiring language skills for a wider range of jobs in October last year, amid the country's growing dependence on foreign labor.
But the five-tier JLPT is the only exam that covers all levels of Japanese proficiency required for various purposes, and overcrowding is also a problem for other proficiency tests, such as a business-focused exam, the sources said.
The JLPT, administered twice a year and organized by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, is widely used by foreign nationals to meet Japanese-language requirements for various residence statuses, including those for work and study.
After the coronavirus pandemic, the number of applicants has risen every year, with a preliminary count showing that 943,671 people in Japan and overseas applied for the examination in July this year, a record for the July session.
Applications for the December session have been closed ahead of schedule.
In a document dated Sept. 11 and sent to around 100 state-certified entities providing Japanese-language education, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said the JLPT has seen a rapid increase in applicants, making it difficult to secure enough venues to accommodate them and ensure the proper administration of the examination.
The ministry called on the entities to use other tests such as the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test, the document said.
The Immigration Services Agency of Japan has also sent a similar request to around 800 Japanese-language schools other than those certified by the state.
The organizer of the Test of Practical Japanese, also known as J.TEST, said on its website that the exam, held six times annually, could close applications for its November session before the deadline.
"It should have been expected that imposing Japanese language proficiency requirements for obtaining a residential status would increase the number of applicants," said Yoshihisa Saito, associate professor at Kobe University specializing in policies related to foreigners.
"There are people whose lives are at stake depending on examination results. The government should administer the test responsibly and make it accessible for all applicants," Saito said.
