'Grade Pre-2 Plus' added to Japan's Eiken English proficiency test as stepping stone
TOKYO -- The Eiken Foundation of Japan has introduced a new level of the Eiken English language proficiency test, "Grade Pre-2 Plus," starting from the current fiscal year.
The new level is positioned between Grade 2 and Grade Pre-2. "We hope applicants will utilize Grade Pre-2 Plus as a familiar target level to pass Grade 2," the Tokyo-based public interest incorporated foundation explained, citing a "high wall" between Grade 2 and Grade Pre-2 in terms of the level of difficulty.
An analysis of applicant data of Eiken, formally the Jitsuyo Eigo Gino Kentei (Test in Practical English Proficiency), by the foundation has revealed that it took about a year on average for applicants to pass the next grade when they were between Grade 5 and Grade Pre-2 levels, but it took nearly two years for holders of Grade Pre-2 to pass Grade 2. The foundation decided to introduce Grade Pre-2 Plus to keep applicants motivated by using the new level as a stepping stone for attempting to pass Grade 2.
Grade Pre-2 Plus is the first new Eiken grade to be established since 1994, when Grade Pre-2 was introduced. The foundation says Grade Pre-2 is equivalent to high school intermediate level and Grade 2 is high school graduate level, while Grade Pre-2 Plus is upper high school year level. There are no changes to the level of difficulty in other existing grades.
Applications for the first batch of Eiken exams for fiscal 2025 are being accepted until May 7, and the tests will be given at venues across the country in June and July.
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