Are you preparing for the JLPT exam and need comprehensive information regarding the JLPT exam in Australia? Is it difficult to find complete and updated information regarding the JLPT exam in Australia?
Then, does the JLPT Australia exam take place 2 times a year, i.e. in July and December? Is it only one time? Also, can you take the JLPT exam in Australia in any city? Questions like these might be filling your mind these days.
That is why we are here to help you get comprehensive information regarding the JLPT exam in Australia. We have provided all the information you need regarding the JLPT exam in Australia. Here, we have also provided some tips on how to study Japanese and improve your JLPT score.
Even, it is not impossible to get a perfect score. Alright, let’s start discussing the following JLPT exam in Australia!
Contents
1. About JLPT (日本語能力試験)
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is an official examination administered by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES).[1] This exam is an official and recognized measurement tool for certifying the Japanese language proficiency of foreign speakers.
Moreover, the JLPT was first administered in 1984. In that first year, the JLPT was administered in 15 countries with approximately 7,000 test-takers.[1] Then, in 2011, history records that the JLPT exam became the largest Japanese proficiency test in the world with the number of participants exploding to 610,000 participants spread across 62 countries.[1]
Initially, the JLPT exam was held only once, in December. Since 2009, the JLPT has been administered twice, in July and December. According to the official JLPT website, in 2017, the number of applicants for the JLPT exam exceeded 1 million worldwide.[2] In fact, in 2019, the number of applicants for the JLPT exam increased to approximately 1.36 million applicants.[2]
However, this data has changed since 2020 when Covid-19 hit. The JLPT exam in July was canceled many times due to health and safety reasons due to the spread of Covid-19. In fact, even in several countries, the JLPT exam was canceled completely.
Why are People Taking the JLPT Test?
According to the statistical results published on the official JLPT website, this exam was taken for various reasons. These results are based on the sample data of more than 340,000 respondents from 76 countries outside of Japan spread across 232 cities in 2018.[3]
Further, the results are quite interesting. It turns out that 33% of the respondents said that they took the JLPT exam to measure their own proficiency level.[3] Then, 23% of them did so for professional reasons, such as to get a job, increase their salary, or get promoted in the company.[3]
In addition, the remaining 44% said they wanted to take the JLPT because it was related to education, such as being required for admission to universities and graduate schools abroad and in Japan and providing proof of JLPT proficiency to educational institutions abroad and in Japan.[3]
2. About JLPT in Australia
If you are currently looking for information regarding the JLPT exam in Australia, you really need the following information. JLPT exams are held in Japan and overseas. In Australia, the JLPT exam is currently held in 6 cities: Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
Additionally, each city has a local institution that technically manages the administration of the JLPT exam on behalf of the Japan Foundation. In general, the JLPT exam is administered in July and December of each year.
However, due to the current conditions of the spread of Covid-19 in 2023, the JLPT exam is held only once in 6 cities in Australia. Originally, Canberra and Brisbane were scheduled to have JLPT exams in July and December. However, JLPT in Canberra will only be held in July and the other 5 cities will be held only in December.
Thus, for those of you who currently need to obtain a JLPT certificate before the end of the year, you can take the JLPT exam in the city of Canberra. Unfortunately, this opportunity is limited. The registration quota is also very small and tight.
Next, please check the following official JLPT website for information on cities around the world that have the following local JLPT exam institutions:
Host Institutions of JLPT in Australia
Below is a list of local institutions that will be offering the JLPT exam in Australia.[4] Please visit the website of each of these local institutions for updated information about the JLPT exam in the city where you plan to take the upcoming JLPT exam.
| Cities in Australia | Local Institution | July or December |
| 1. Canberra | Japan Centre, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University | July |
| 2. Brisbane | School of Humanities, Languages, and Social Science, Griffith University | December |
| 3. Perth | Australia Japan Society of Western Australia Inc. (AJSWA) | December |
| 4. Sydney | The Japanese Language Proficiency Test Administration, School of Humanities and Languages, The University of New South Wales | December |
| 5. Melbourne | Japanese Language, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University | December |
| 6. Adelaide | Japan Australia Friendship Association | December |
If you have questions regarding the local institutions administering the JLPT exam in Australia above, you can visit their website and ask them directly via telephone or e-mail. Also, please don’t forget to keep updating the latest information regarding the JLPT exam on their website.
Apart from JLPT, you can also dig up information about learning the Japanese language and culture through the various events held by the local institutions above.
3. General Info about JLPT in Australia
If you want to take the JLPT exam in Australia, here are the steps you need to take. Everything is the same in general for all institutions in Australia.
- You need to check the official local institutions registered on the official JLPT website. This institution will administer the JLPT exam on behalf of the Japan Foundation.
- Please confirm the JLPT exam registration method with the local institution where you will take the JLPT exam.
- Request or download the Test Guide, which includes the JLPT exam application form, from the official website of the local institution or contact the office of the local institution directly.
- Registration begins in March-April for the July exam (first test). And for the second test in December, registration opens in August-September.
- Carefully read the provided test guide. Fill in the application form with correct and accurate information. Carefully check all the data you enter or write.
Then, please confirm and note that the application period varies from city to city. You will need to confirm this directly with the relevant local institution.
In Australia, please check with the 6 local institutions we have listed in the previous section. For any unclear information regarding the JLPT exam, please contact the local institution directly.
Test Guide and Fees
The test guide is available in March or August, approximately 3 months before the JLPT exam. If you want to check, you can request a Test Guide from the previous year if the Test Guide for the upcoming exam is not yet available. The content is usually more or less the same as in previous years.
Further, it’s just a matter of checking the test components, time, and what you need to prepare carefully. If any information changes, it will usually be specifically marked by the Japan Foundation through the Test Guide document they publish.
For exam fees, please check with local institutions. Please note that payment can only be made online. Regulations regarding payment methods, refunds, or others are listed in the Test Guide and on the official website of the local institution organizing the local JLPT exam.
4. How to Register for the JLPT Exam in Australia?
Below are the steps you need to take to register for the JLPT exam in cities in Australia. There may be differences in some locations. However, these are the general steps you surely need to take:
- Please visit the website of the local institution that administers the JLPT exam in each city in Australia.
- Carefully read all available information about the JLPT exam on the official website of the local institution.
- Download or print all test guides and application forms, if necessary. Or request that JLPT-related documents be mailed to local institutions.
- Compare the information with the information in the test guide provided. If there is a JLPT application form, don’t forget to read it carefully for proper completion.
- Follow the instructions carefully and fill in all personal information correctly.
Then, after the registration process is completed. You can immediately pay for the test using the method provided. Payment can only be made online.
In addition, if you are not sure whether your registration was successful or not, please contact the local institution. You will receive a test voucher at least 1 month before the JLPT exam. If you do not receive a voucher, please contact your local institution again. Is there an item you are missing? Please add in the column comment below!
The Important Note
Please note that some of the following items are allowed into the test venue by the host institution. They are the test vouchers, stationery, HB pencils, and erasers only. Then, please also bring photo identification (passport, driving license, and other personal identification).
Further, candidates who do not bring photo identification will not be allowed to enter the test venue. Please be aware, if you are 10 minutes late at the JLPT test center, the consequences will be fatal and you will not be allowed to take the JLPT exam. During the test, all test property used in the administration of the test is prohibited from possession and distribution.
Lastly, there will be no refund of test money after registration for various reasons, except for natural disasters and Covid 19 situation worsening, it will also be transferred for the next round of the test schedule.
Special Testing Accommodations (STA) Application
If prospective candidates have a disability, they may request various accommodations to make the JLPT test easier. Next, please read and do the following procedure:
- Ensure that all registration applications are completed online and contact us to request the STA feature on the registration form.
- Ensure that you bring a medical certificate to support the STA form.
- Then send the completed STA application form to the local institution. Please note that the STA application deadline is 30 March at % pm Australian time.
- Once the STA form has been submitted, the candidate will still be able to take the JLPT, but under the same conditions as other candidates.
In addition, if you have any questions about this special accommodation, please contact the local institution directly by phone or e-mail. They will provide you with detailed information.
5. How to Prepare the JLPT in Australia?
Apart from understanding various technical issues related to the implementation of the JLPT exam in Australia, for those of you who are currently still confused about how to prepare for the JLPT exam as best as possible, we have a guide for you.
The JLPT exam really requires serious preparation. Especially if you want to get a good score. Most of the JLPT exam candidates usually take intensive classes to prepare for the JLPT exam in the city where they live. Especially in Japan, even foreigners who receive Japanese government scholarships, have the opportunity to study Japanese at special schools for 6 months to 1.5 years before entering the university of their choice.
Furthermore, for those of you who are currently looking for the best school to study Japanese and prepare for the JLPT exam in Australia, please read our discussion of the best places to study Japanese in Canberra below.
If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below.
One of the Best Tips to Boost your JLPT Score
Apart from the special preparation for the JLPT exam at the best Japanese language school in Australia, we have an additional tip for you who want to get a high or even perfect JLPT score.
Practice questions are the key to a high JLPT score. By increasing the number of practice questions, you will become more familiar with the JLPT exam. As a result, you will be able to manage your time and answer JLPT questions quickly and accurately.
And, in order to support your JLPT practice, we have listed below some of the best book recommendations for you to consider. All of them have a question bank very similar to the JLPT, extensive discussion, and even special trick tips for getting a perfect score on the JLPT.
If you are preparing for the JLPT N1 exam, read our recommendations below:
Conclusion
This is the end of our discussion about the JLPT exam in Australia and everything you need to know about preparing for the JLPT exam in Australia. We hope that this information will be useful for you to beat the JLPT exam.
Moreover, we are very proud to be a part of your journey to ace the JLPT exam. Also, we hope you can pass and get a perfect score. Please share your JLPT exam experience in the comments section below. Thank you for reading to the end. See you in the next article!
References
1 “Message from Organizers“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
2 “Statistics“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
3 “Reasons for Taking the Test“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
4 “List of Overseas Test Cite Cities & Local Host Institutions“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
