Japanese Language

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Japanese Placement Test Information

1. What is the placement test?

The placement test assesses your preparation for the Japanese language courses offered in our program and helps us place you in the course appropriate for your proficiency level.

2. Who must take a placement test?

You must take a placement test if you have:

  • taken Japanese courses somewhere other than the University of Alberta or
  • had some Japanese language experience in the past (may it be by self-study, living in Japan, use of the language in the family, with close friends or at work).

If you are not sure if you need to take a placement test, contact the Japanese Language Coordinator.

3. When can I take a placement test?

The placement test schedule can be found here.

4. What is the format of the placement test?

It consists of an online written test (listening, grammar, reading, and writing) and an oral interview.

5. How long is the placement test?
The written test will take up to 90 minutes. The oral interview will take about 15 minutes.
6. How do I prepare myself for the placement test?

Review thoroughly the textbook and other materials you used in previous classes or the textbooks used in our Japanese courses

If you have any more questions about the placement test, contact the Japanese Language Coordinator.

New Japanese placement test schedule now available

Important note

The Department reserves the right to place students in the language course appropriate to their level of language skill and will withhold credit from students completing courses for which prior background is deemed to make them ineligible.

Any student making false statements regarding his/her language background for academic advantage may be found guilty of misrepresentation of facts or cheating under the Student Code of Behavior. Such an offence will be considered proper grounds for invalidating his/her registration and may result in suspension or expulsion from the university.

To those who have taken Japanese courses in high school

  • You must take a Japanese placement test so that we can place you in the course appropriate to your proficiency level. 
  • If you have taken JAPAN 30 or 35 in high school, you will be placed into JAPAN 150 or above depending on your proficiency. You cannot take JAPAN 101 or 102 for credit.
  • For those students who have taken Japan 30IB in high school and wish to receive credit for JAPAN 101/102, a Transfer Credit system has been implemented (i.e. students with grades 6 or 7 from the IB transcript will get an A or A- automatically upon entering the university. You can find more information here.