STEP Eiken
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The Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency is a certificated English language examination produced by the non-profit Society for Testing English Proficiency (STEP) foundation in Tokyo and backed by the Japanese Ministry of Education.
Eiken is a syllabic abbreviation for the Japanese name of the test: Jitsuyo Eigo Ginou Kentei Shiken. It is also called STEP Eiken or the STEP Test.
Eiken is a criterion-referenced test. There are seven levels (bands) that examinees either pass or fail; numerical scores are not given. Eiken levels are called "grades":
Grade 1 : (University level)
Grade Pre-1 : (Junior college level)
Grade 2 : (High school graduate)
Grade Pre-2 : (High school intermediate)
Grade 3 : (Junior high graduate)
Grade 4 : (Junior high intermediate)
Grade 5 : (Junior high beginner)
Eiken assesses a combination of receptive and productive skills. Eiken grades 1, Pre-1, 2, Pre-2, and 3 include a required speaking test. Grades 1 and Pre-1 include a handwritten composition task.
Most junior high schools and high schools in Japan use Eiken to measure student progress. Each grade is similar to a karate belt; learners try to achieve subsequent levels as their skills improve. The higher grades are recognized by the education ministry as English proficiency benchmarks and are used for school admissions [1] and job qualifications in Japan and overseas.
Eiken is administered three times each year on fixed dates. Applicants must pass the First Stage (vocabulary, reading, listening, and writing) in order to qualify to take the Second Stage (speaking). The Second Stage is given about one month after the First Stage. Applicants who pass both stages receive certification.
In fiscal 2005, examinees for all Eiken grades totaled approximately 2.5 million. According to the STEP website, the test has been taken by more than 75 million applicants since its inception in 1963.
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