Are you currently researching information related to the JLPT exam held in Vancouver, Canada? Is information related to JLPT Vancouver and other areas that are precise, complete, and updated very difficult to find these days?
Did you know that in Japan, the JLPT exam is usually held twice a year? Is it the same with JLPT exams in cities in Canada? You may also have no idea whether JLPT is held in all cities in Canada. Of course, you really need accurate information about it.
Therefore, in this article, we will help you to find out and explore as comprehensive information as possible regarding the JLPT exam in Vancouver, Canada. We hope you are no longer confused and wondering about the JLPT exam in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to technical matters such as JLPT exam fees in Canada, exam locations, and JLPT regulations in Vancouver Canada, we also want to offer you some other helpful information.
What is this helpful information regarding the JLPT exam in Vancouver, Canada? Please read this article until the very end and you will surely find everything you need to get a perfect score in your upcoming JLPT exam! Alright, let’s get started!
Contents
1. About JLPT in Vancouver, Canada
The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a reliable tool offered by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for foreign speakers since 1984.[1]
Then, at the beginning of organizing the exam abroad, there were about 7,000 participants until 2011 which increased significantly by almost 90 times to 610,000 participants worldwide. This made the JLPT the largest Japanese language proficiency test in the world at the time.[1]
In addition, in Canada itself, the first JLPT exam was held at York University in Toronto in 1997. At that time, the JLPT exam was organized by the Japanese section of York University as a representative of the Japan Foundation.[2] After that, JLPT exams began to be held in other cities such as Edmonton, and Vancouver. Then, since December 1, 2019, begun to be held also in the city of Ottawa.[3]
Moreover, there are 2 main institutions that work to administer the JLPT exam. JLPT exams held in Japan are organized by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, while for JLPT exams held outside Japan, the Japan Foundation organizes them in cooperation with local institutions.[1]
General Information of JLPT in Vancouver, Canada
The JLPT in Vancouver, Canada is held by the Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall as the host institution on behalf of the Japan Foundation.[4] At this institution, JLPT is held twice, in July and December. You can take JLPT exams for all levels of this institution.
Furthermore, the JLPT is open to all non-native speakers of Japanese. You should check the applicable opening schedule. If you are currently a student at a Japanese language school in Vancouver, you will have the opportunity to apply for the exam at that school first.[5]
In addition, the JLPT exam application period usually opens about 3-4 months before July and December, i.e. Late March to mid-April or late August to mid-September. However, you should always check your local institution’s website and the official JLPT website regularly to avoid misinformation.
JLPT Vancouver Institution: Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall
Location: 487 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1C6
Contact: jlpt@vjls-jh.com or info@vjls-jh.com
Fee: $70 *Non-refundable
Rules and Regulations of JLPT in Vancouver, Canada
Regarding the JLPT exam application period in Vancouver, you can access directly to the VJLS-JH website. Please note that there are specific conditions and rules that you must comply with regarding applications for participants, namely:
- Japanese language school students have the priority to apply for the JLPT exam early.
- Participants must reside in British Columbia and be born between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2008.
- Public participants may apply as long as they have a residential address in Canada.
- Public registration is only open for 11 days or less than 2 weeks.
- Applications that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.
- You must provide a Canadian address to receive your test certificate in the mail.
- There are 100 application quotas available. Applications will be closed as soon as the quota is reached.
With the above terms and conditions, you are expected to be careful in filling out the application data. Then, due to the short registration period, please keep updating the VJLS-JH website and the JLPT official website to avoid being late. Please visit the following VJLS-JH website below to read other rules and regulations related to the JLPT in Vancouver.
2. JLPT Preparation Course in Vancouver, Canada
Especially compared to the JLPT host institutions in other cities in Canada, VJLS-JH is one of the host institutions in Canada that has a JLPT preparation course.[6] This course started on March 31, 2023.
In addition, they offer special JLPT preparation programs for all levels from N5 to N1. You can also choose online or in-person class formats. The followings are the details:
| Class Format | Details |
| 1. Online | Schedule: Once a week or from 7 pm to 9 pm Fee: $400/Term (10 weeks) |
| 2. In-person | Schedule: Once a week or from 6 pm to 8 pm Fee: $400/Term (10 weeks) |
If you are not comfortable with the above course options, VJLS-JH also offers private lessons for JLPT preparation. These more intensive private lessons allow you to focus on your needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Additionally, the schedule is also designed to accommodate your limited time. Please read more about the preparation programs offered by clicking the button below:
3. About JLPT in Canada & Other Cities
According to the Japan Foundation, JLPT is only held in 4 cities in Canada: Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa.[4] Especially for Vancouver and Edmonton, JLPT is held twice, in July and December. In Toronto and Ottawa, however, JLPT is only held once, in December.
Therefore, you have to remember that JLPT is not held in every city in Canada. It is only held in these 4 major cities. Then, each of these cities has a local institution, which is a Japanese language school or university trusted by the Japan Foundation to organize JLPT.
In addition, these local institutions have specific and different JLPT-related programs. For example, regarding the handling of COVID-19, you must also carefully read each rule that applies in each of these institutions. Please go to the following link to read the summary we have prepared for you regarding JLPT in Canada.
It is important to be familiar with the list of institutions hosting the JLPT in Canada so that you have additional options if you are late in registering at one of the test sites.
You will also be able to read much other additional information that may be useful in strengthening your JLPT preparation. For example, there are institutions that offer specialized JLPT preparation courses and those that do not. This could be an advantage for you.
Then, in addition to Vancouver, you can also take the JLPT in Edmonton city as another option. In Edmonton, the JLPT is organized by the Prince Takamado Japan Center at the University of Alberta. The University of Alberta also provides many excellent JLPT study materials. Please read more by clicking on the link below.
4. Best Places to Learn Japanese and Finding JLPT Tutors in Vancouver, Canada
In addition to the special JLPT preparation course offered by VJLS-JH, we would also like to share with you other interesting information. In order to strengthen your preparation for the JLPT exam in Vancouver, we have researched some Japanese language schools that have special Japanese language preparation programs.
There are at least 2 schools that we have found that have special programs for JLPT preparation, as follows:
| Japanese Language School’s Name | Available Japanese Programs |
| 1. Yoko Japanese Learning Vancouver (YJLV) | Level 1 to Level 6, Private Lessons & JLPT Preparation |
| 2. Japanese for All People | Beginner Level 1-3, Intermediate Level 4-5 (JLPT N5), Advanced (JLPT N2 & N1) & Japanese for Children |
These schools also offer both online and face-to-face classes, very comprehensive programs, and professional teachers. Of course, at an affordable price. We have also summarized them as well as other great schools as the option below. Please read the details below!
In addition to the 5 schools listed above, you can also prepare for the JLPT exam by studying with a private tutor.
These JLPT preparation tutors are usually individuals who are native Japanese speakers, have experience passing the JLPT exam, and hold a professional Japanese teaching certificate.
But how do you find them? We recommend that you check out Preply as well as Amazing Talker. If you have experience preparing for the JLPT with any of the above independent tutors, please share your opinion with us! We would love to hear from you!
5. The 2 Powerful Tips to Reinforce Your JLPT Preps
To be able to pass the JLPT exam at the level you want, there are certainly a number of processes you must not forget. Such as really setting time to study JLPT, finding out various technical things related to JLPT exams such as those here, finding JLPT exam questions in the past, or trying various mock tests and of course, other countless efforts.
There are 2 things I would like to add here that will really improve your understanding of JLPT material from vocabulary, kanji, grammar, and the meaning of the readings that become JLPT exam questions. 2 things you really need to consider in order to improve your JLPT exam score are the following:
(1) You need to choose the right book that contains JLPT practice questions!
(2) You need to enrich your Japanese vocabulary!
After getting guidance from Japanese teachers and tutors, of course, books and study materials that can improve your understanding of the JLPT are also very important to strive for when studying on your own.
Choose the Best Books to Prepare for the JLPT Exam!
Let’s talk about the choice of books for JLPT preparation. Based on the research we have done, there are at least 10 or even more books that you can choose depending on the JLPT exam level you are aiming for.
The books will help you master the JLPT exam material in a detailed and complete manner. In addition, some books also have a lot of practice tests that can train you to get used to facing the JLPT exam.
From these 10 or more books, we would like to recommend 3 books that are often the topic of conversation among JLPT applicants. The following 3 choices all have complete sets for JLPT preparation at all levels from N5 to N1.
| Selected Books | Details |
| 1. New Kanzen Master | Publisher: 3A Network Complete Sets: N5 to N1 |
| 2. Nihongo Sou Matome | Publisher: ASK Book Complete Sets (N5 to N1) |
| 3. Speed Master JLPT | Publisher: J Research (J リサーチ) Complete Sets (N5 to N1) |
We hope you can find the best book for you! And don’t forget to share your experiences with these recommended books!
Enrich Your Japanese Vocabulary!
In addition to choosing the right book, increasing your JLPT vocabulary is also very influential in improving your score.
According to our research, to pass the JLPT N2 exam, for example, you need to know 6,000 vocabulary words. This is the same amount of vocabulary that native Japanese speakers know when they enter high school in Japan.
For those of you studying for JLPT N2, in addition to reading more articles, news, and newspapers directly in Japanese, you can also increase your vocabulary by Writing down every new word you learn, posting it in every corner of your room, or try to pronounce the new words over and over again! We hope you can improve your score and get a perfect score!
Conclusion
This is our discussion about JLPT in Vancouver, Canada. We hope the information presented here will help you to know more about JLPT in Vancouver, Canada.
Of course, we really hope for your feedback, suggestions, and also your opinion regarding this discussion. Please feel free to share your experience of taking the JLPT exam with us. We would love to be a part of your JLPT journey.
May you achieve a perfect score in every JLPT exam level you strive for! We wish you good luck! See you in the next article
References
1 “Objectives and History“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
2 “The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Toronto) – York University“. York University. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
3 “Carleton becomes 4th site in Canada for Japanese proficiency testing“. School of Linguistics and Language Studies – Carleton University. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
4 “List of Overseas Test Site Cities and Local Host Institutions“. The Official JLPT Website. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
5 “Japanese Language Proficiency Test“. Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
6 “Japanese Language Proficiency Test Prep Course“. Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
