Le JLPT (日本語能力試験, にほんごのうりょくしけん), le célèbre test d’aptitude en Japonais, va subir un petit lifting. Il comportera dès 2010¹ 5 niveaux au lieu de 4² mais la difficulté des anciens niveaux restera pratiquement inchangée (le niveau 1 risque d’être un peu plus difficile). Le nouveau niveau (N3) sera un niveau intermédiaire entre les anciens niveaux 3 et 2.

Le calendrier lui aussi change. L’examen se tiendra deux fois par an et ce dès 2009³, la session de juillet sera réservée aux niveaux 1 et 2 et celle de décembre à tous les niveaux.

Il faut noter que les annales complètes des tests futurs ne seront plus disponibles mais seulement des extraits. La mesure a pour but d’améliorer la qualité du test – c’est-à-dire d’éviter le bachotage.

Documents : Revision of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test: Second Progress Report

Profiles for new test levels

N1
Reading: Reads logically constructedwriting, such as newspaper editorials intended for native speakers and can followthe reasoning; reads highly abstract writing and can comprehend configurations of abstract concepts. Reads deep-content materials in a broad range of subjects and can comprehend both the progression of ideas and specific nuances.
Listening: Comprehends coherent conversations, news reports, lectures, and the like, spoken at natural speed in a broad variety of settings; can followthe progression of ideas and comprehend the content. Understands relationships among people discussed, logical structures, and other such details, and can grasp essential points.

N2
Reading: Capable of reading and understanding general information manuals and other basic written materials intended for native speakers. Can read more specialized materials with the aid of a dictionary. Reads simply written materials on general topics and can both follow the progression of ideas and understand nuances.
Listening: Comprehends coherent conversations, news reports, and the like, spoken at nearly natural speed, in everyday life and various other settings. Can followthe flow of remarks and comprehend the content; understands relationships among people discussed and can grasp essential points.

N3
Reading: Capable of reading and understanding materials written for native speakers only if they are rewritten for nonnative speakers with simplified vocabulary and kanji. Can derive a limited amount of information from article titles in newspapers intended for native speakers. Can glean necessary information from written materials encountered in daily life with the aid of a dictionary, if sufficient time is provided.
Listening: Comprehends coherent conversations spoken at more-or-less natural speed in everyday life and in some settings seldom encountered in daily life; can generally follow a particular flow of remarks as well as relationships among people discussed.

N4
Reading: Capable of reading and understanding written materials intended for nonnative speakers on familiar topics.
Listening: Comprehends conversations encountered in daily life and can generally follow the flow of remarks, provided they are spoken slowly and can be repeated.

N5
Reading: Capable of reading and understanding phrases and sentences written for nonnative speakers using hiragana and very basic kanji.
Listening: Comprehends patterned conversations, consisting primarily of phrases and simple sentences, in daily life, typical classroom situations, and other familiar settings; can glean needed information from spoken language provided it is adapted for a nonnative speaker, spoken slowly, and can be repeated.