I was wondering if there's a list of Kanken test sites, so that I can find one closest to me. I live in the Boston area.

I'm currently at frame 800 of RTK1, but from example questions I've seen, I believe I could pass say, Level 10 with a small amount of study, and Level 9 with somewhat more.

I find it quite motivating that there are so many levels to the exam - 12 in all, so if I happen to take one every year or two, I won't run out of exams for a decade or two. Also, they seem to roughly follow the grade levels of native Japanese students, so it's almost like following along with them.

This is the only one I know of, on the official site:
http://www.kanken.or.jp/kojin/kaigai.html

Exactly 2 places in the entire US do the kanken, one in NY and one in NJ, apparently.

Thanks for the link - it was exactly what I was looking for. I guess I'm lucky to be in the general geographic region, since there are so few. I would have actually expected see sites in California and Hawaii, if one were to ask me to guess what US states would be the most likely to have them.

Well I doesn't even say you can take it in New Zealand and I sat it in Feb this year, was scheduled to sit it recently but life got in the way >.<

According to the guy who organised it for us, if you have a big enough group you can do it anywhere? I'm not 100% on that though and we did sit it at a school for Japanese kids... so yeah. Just saying that that list doesn't include all the possibilities.

Actually, you can take the Kanken in California.

In fact, Gardena, CA is the only place in the US that
has the computer based test (CBT) version of the
kanken exam. It it available 6 days a week all year-round (I think).

http://www.kankenusa.org/id2.html
http://www.kankenusa.org/id1.html

That seems odd that test sites, including an apparently very active site in CA, are missing from their list. Assuming that operating a Kanken test site requires registration with a central test administration authority, there must be a more comprehensive list then. Where did you guys learn about these other test sites?

I would feel silly if I drove several hours to take an exam, only to find that it was also being offered next door.

France isn't listed either and I take the exam 3 times a year here in Paris....

Mushi Wrote:That seems odd that test sites, including an apparently very active site in CA, are missing from their list. Assuming that operating a Kanken test site requires registration with a central test administration authority, there must be a more comprehensive list then. Where did you guys learn about these other test sites?

The CA site is there; everyone was just looking in the wrong place:
http://www.kanken.or.jp/frame/cbt.html

Not sure what to say about France though, only to ask, why on earth would you take the kanken 3 times a year?!?!

Edit: And the test is not only offered at official test sites. Any organization can proctor a test if they fulfill the requirements. The test is offered at schools throughout the country 1-3 times a year, and they're certainly not all on a list on that site.

3 times a year because I pass it level by level. 8,7,6 and last june 5.

oh man, it says you can only take it in Vancouver(for Canada), I live in Ontario dang it!

I should warn you. Those test sites for USA are not always accurate.
They change every few years and most of the time, you won't get any
email replies.

For me, I always got a reply from one of the test sites, and then heard
nothing from the rest. And it took a week for them to respond.

So find all the US test centers and email them ASAP (preferably in Japanese).
Anyway, good luck.