What are the most popular Japanese proficiency tests available

The most popular Japanese proficiency tests available are:

1. JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) - The most widely recognized test for non-native speakers, measuring reading, listening, and grammar skills across five levels (N5 to N1, with N1 being the most advanced). It is administered twice a year internationally.

2. J-Test - Also called the Practical Japanese Test, it assesses practical Japanese language skills and is divided into several levels.

3. NAT-TEST - A Japanese language test that evaluates level from beginner to advanced, similar to JLPT, but held more frequently.

4. BJT (Business Japanese Proficiency Test) - Designed specifically for assessing Japanese language skills in business contexts.

Among these, the JLPT remains the most popular and internationally accepted certification for Japanese proficiency as of 2025. ^{1, 2, 3}

References

• ‘She’s [the] only fish!’: Investigating the idiom topic transitions of elementary-to-intermediate proficiency Japanese learners of English

• Aligning Scores of Language Proficiency Tests: A Score Concordance Study Between IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT®

• The Effect of Placement Tests on Student Achievement: Study at Qimam Al-Ulum Institute for Languages (2024-2025)

• Cumulative Testing for L2 Vocabulary Learning: The Impact of Retrieval Practice and Proficiency

• Effect of Using Digital Media for Language Learning on Reduction of Anxiety and Boost of Proficiency among Immigrating Students: A Case Study

• Rethinking Technology Stack Selection with AI Coding Proficiency

• Exploring the Relationship Between Self-Regulation, Grit, Motivation, and English Proficiency Among University Students in Japan

• Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of pathogens in pediatric sinus infections: a retrospective study at a Japanese otolaryngology clinic (2023–2025)

• Evaluating a task-based language teaching course for low-proficiency learners in ESP classrooms in Japan

• Is Direction-Specific Reading Experience Transferrable Across Orthographies? Eye Tracking Evidence from Chinese-Japanese Bilinguals