The number of test takers in July was 940,000, the highest ever... “Impacts such as adding Japanese language proficiency requirements to residence status”

(Tokyo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Do-yeon = As the number of applicants for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), a representative Japanese test used for foreigners to work in Japan and acquire residency status, increased rapidly, the Japanese government requested the use of an alternative test due to operational difficulties, Kyodo News reported on the 27th.

According to reports, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology sent a notice on the 11th to about 100 accredited institutions, including Japanese language schools attended by foreigners, saying, "The number of applicants for the JLPT has increased rapidly, making it difficult to secure a test site or a strict test operation system."

At the same time, he requested that the results of other tests, such as the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT), be used.

Kyodo reported that the Immigration Services Agency also notified the same information to 800 Japanese language schools other than recognized institutions.

JLPT is a representative Japanese language proficiency test, and the Japanese government also uses the results of this test as a standard for judging the level of Japanese language proficiency of foreigners.

It is used not only for obtaining residency status but also as a requirement for employment or further advancement, and is conducted twice a year.

However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of applicants has increased by hundreds of thousands per year, and in the exam held in July, the total number of applicants in Japan and abroad reached 943,671 (preliminary information).

This is the largest number of exams ever conducted in July, and the deadline for this December exam was also brought forward earlier than expected due to a rapid increase in the number of applicants.

This increase in the number of applicants can be attributed to the increase in the number of foreigners residing in Japan and the Japanese government adding a Japanese language proficiency requirement to some residence statuses since October of last year.

Although the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and others have requested the use of alternative tests, Kyodo pointed out that it is unclear whether the JLPT can be completely replaced by another test.

There are concerns that the government's response may be delayed or that the impact on foreigners' acquisition of residency status may be expanded.