Kanji Kentei (Kanken) Exam Levels Explained vs JLPT

Short answer: the Kanji Kentei (日本漢字能力検定, Nihon Kanji Nōryoku Kentei, usually shortened to Kanken 漢検) is a kanji test run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. It has 12 levels, from level 10 (the 80 kanji of first grade) to level 1 (about 6,000 kanji). Level 2 covers all 2,136 jōyō kanji. Unlike the JLPT, it tests only kanji, it is designed mainly for Japanese speakers, and on the paper test you write your answers by hand.

This guide covers each level with its kanji count, how the Kanken differs from the JLPT, the ways to take it, and how to prepare. All facts come from the official site kanken.or.jp and the JLPT FAQ, checked on 1 November 2026.

What the Kanji Kentei is

漢字検定 (kanji kentei) simply means “kanji proficiency test”. The full name is 日本漢字能力検定, and the official English name is The Japan Kanji Aptitude Test. Each level is a 級 (級, kyū), so 2級 is written “Grade 2” in English and 準2級 (jun-nikyū, “pre-2”) is “Grade Semi-2”.

The foundation says about 1.29 million people take it every year, aged from 3 to 103. Most are Japanese schoolchildren and adults, which is why the levels are described in terms of Japanese school years.

Kanji Kentei levels and kanji counts

Each level includes all the kanji of the levels below it. The counts and the school stage come from the official grades overview.

Level	Japanese	Kanji covered	Official school stage
10	10級	80	End of elementary grade 1
9	9級	240	End of grade 2
8	8級	440	End of grade 3
7	7級	642	End of grade 4
6	6級	835	End of grade 5
5	5級	1,026	End of grade 6 (all elementary school kanji)
4	4級	1,339	During junior high school
3	3級	1,623	Junior high school graduate
Pre-2	準2級	1,951	During high school
2	2級	2,136 (all jōyō kanji)	High school graduate, university, general
Pre-1	準1級	about 3,000	University, general
1	1級	about 6,000	University, general

Levels 10 to 5 follow the official school tables exactly: 80, 240, 440, 642, 835 and 1,026 are the running totals of the elementary school grades. Our guide to kanji by grade level explains where those lists come from and what each grade contains. From level 4 up, the Kanken adds the rest of the jōyō kanji, and pre-1 and 1 go far beyond them, into rare characters, old forms, idioms and classical texts.

What each level tests and the pass mark

The question types grow with the level. According to the official overview:

• Levels 10 and 9: reading, writing, and 筆順 (stroke order) and stroke count.
• Level 8: adds 部首 (radicals), okurigana (the kana after a kanji, as in 食べる) and opposites.
• Levels 7 and 6: add words with the same reading, three-kanji compounds and, at level 6, similar meanings.
• Level 5: adds four-character idioms (四字熟語) and correcting wrong kanji. It is the last level with stroke-order questions.
• Levels 4, 3, pre-2 and 2: readings and writing in context, radicals, okurigana, opposites and synonyms, homophones, error correction, four-character idioms and how compounds are built.
• Pre-1 and 1: add proverbs and classical expressions, and kanji outside the jōyō list.

Every level is scored out of 200 points, except levels 8, 9 and 10, which are out of 150. The pass mark is about 80% for levels 1, pre-1, 2, 8, 9 and 10, and about 70% for levels pre-2 to 7.

Two scoring rules matter for learners. Kanji must be written with correct, clear strokes; sloppy or cursive kanji are not marked as correct. And for levels 2 to 10, answers follow the official jōyō kanji table, so old character forms (旧字体) are not accepted.

Kanji Kentei vs JLPT

	Kanji Kentei (Kanken)	JLPT
What it tests	Kanji only: readings, writing, meaning, usage	Vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening
Designed for	Mainly Japanese speakers, from children to adults	Non-native speakers of Japanese
Levels	12 (10 to 1, with pre-2 and pre-1)	5 (N5 to N1)
Answers	Handwritten on the paper test	Multiple choice, computer scored
Kanji list	Official count for every level	No official kanji list since 2010
Where	Mainly in Japan (a few group venues abroad)	In Japan and many countries
When	Paper test 3 times a year in Japan; computer and online tests more often	Twice a year, July and December

The biggest difference is writing. The JLPT has no composition section and all its answers are multiple choice, so you only need to recognise kanji. The Kanken asks you to produce them, with the right strokes and okurigana. For many learners, that makes even a low Kanken level harder than its kanji count suggests.

The kanji ranges also differ. JLPT N1 is commonly estimated at about 2,000 kanji (see how many kanji are in each JLPT level), which is close to Kanken level 2 in size. But passing N1 does not mean you could pass level 2: N1 checks that you can read kanji inside real texts, while level 2 checks that you can read and write every jōyō kanji. At the other end, all 81 kanji in our JLPT N5 kanji list are elementary grade 1 or 2 kanji, which is the range of Kanken level 9.

If you need a certificate of Japanese ability for school, work or a visa, check which test is asked for. The Kanken measures kanji, not general Japanese.

Who should take the Kanji Kentei

The Kanken is a good goal if you:

• Want a reason to write. It gives handwriting practice a clear target and a deadline.
• Live in Japan, or have children in Japanese schools, where the Kanken is widely known.
• Are a heritage learner who speaks Japanese but wants to catch up on reading and writing.
• Have passed JLPT N2 or N1 and want a new kanji challenge, for example level pre-2 or 2.

It is probably not the right test yet if you are a beginner who cannot read Japanese instructions, or if your goal is reading and listening. In that case, start with the JLPT levels and our N5 page.

How to take the test

There are three ways to take the Kanken as an individual, all booked online through the official site (in Japanese):

	Paper test at a public venue	Computer test (Kanken CBT)	Online test (Kanken Online)
Levels	1 to 10	2 to 7	2 to 10
Where	Venues in all 47 prefectures	Test centres in all 47 prefectures	At home on a tablet
When	3 times a year	Any day the test centre offers	Every Sunday (some exceptions)
Test time	60 min (40 min for levels 8 to 10)	60 min	60 min (40 min for levels 8 to 10)

Source: the official comparison of test styles. The level and certificate are the same whichever way you take it. Pre-1 and level 1 are only available on paper at public venues.

Dates. In fiscal year 2026 (April 2026 to March 2027), the paper tests were held on 21 June and 18 October 2026, and the last one is scheduled for 14 February 2027. Applications for the February test open on 4 December 2026 at 9:00 Japan time and close on 10 January 2027, first come, first served (official schedule).

Fees (tax included, tests from 1 April 2026): on paper, ¥3,200 for levels 10 to 8, ¥3,700 for levels 7 to 5, ¥4,200 for levels 4 to pre-2, ¥5,200 for level 2, ¥6,200 for pre-1 and ¥6,700 for level 1. The computer and online tests cost less: ¥3,200 for levels 7 to 5, ¥3,800 for levels 4 to pre-2 and ¥4,800 for level 2, and online levels 10 to 8 cost ¥2,700. Fees change from time to time, so check the official page before you apply.

Outside Japan. Public venues are in Japan only. Abroad, some schools and groups run the test as approved group venues for levels 2 to 10; the foundation lists them on its overseas venues page and asks you to contact each one directly.

How to prepare

1. Pick a level with the official check. The foundation’s level check is a 10-question quiz that suggests a level. As an adult learner, aim one level below what feels comfortable for reading, because you also have to write.
2. Do a past paper first. The sample questions page has real past papers as free PDFs. Doing one at the start shows which question types you need to learn. For more practice, the foundation sells an official past paper book series (漢検 過去問題集) and textbooks.
3. Learn each kanji with words, not alone. Most questions are about words in sentences: readings, okurigana and compounds. Our guide to onyomi and kunyomi explains how the readings work.
4. Write by hand every day. Stroke order is tested up to level 5, and messy kanji lose marks at every level. See the stroke order guide, and why printed and handwritten kanji look different so you copy the right shapes.
5. Learn radical names early. Radical questions start at level 8. Our post on whether to learn radicals first shows how they fit into kanji.
6. Recognise first, then write. Use spaced repetition to recognise the kanji of your level, then practise writing the ones you know. Our first 1,000 kanji plan shows a daily pace, and do you need to write kanji by hand explains how far to take writing.

Study the kanji for your level

Every kanji on this site has a picture story, readings, example words and stroke order, including the kanji of 漢字検定 itself and of 試験 (shiken, exam). To review them with spaced repetition, open the study app in your browser, or get the Kanji Guide iPhone app on the App Store.

For how the JLPT itself is structured, see the JLPT exam pattern for sections, timing and passing scores.