The language test was held on June 18 at the campus of the Japan College of Foreign Languages ​​in Tokyo. Contestants of all ages and occupations came from various places in Japan to attend the event.

There were 789 Japanese contestants attended the Vietnamese language proficiency test in Tokyo (Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/VNA)

To prove their Vietnamese language proficiency, contestants choose 1 among 6 levels of difficulty. The lowest level is level 6 - an introductory level of Vietnamese, while the hardest is level 1. The lowest fee is also for level 6 with an amount of JPY 3,000 yen (about VND 498,000).

For those who cannot determine their exact Vietnamese language level, there is an option to register for two-level exam with a preferential fee.

This year, level 5 is the level with the highest number of test takers with a total of 128 people. Level 2 - the hardest level - had the lowest number of contestants with 48, up from 34 contestants in 2022.

The contestants can choose 1 among 6 levels of difficulty (Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/VNA).

The Vietnamese language proficiency test 2023 is the 6th test held in Japan and the pass rate has increased gradually. In the first exam, the average pass rate for all levels was only 16.7% and by 2022 this rate reached about 43.5%. The exam last year also attracted participants from a total of 35 localities across the country.

The average age of candidates this year is about 40 years old, in which the oldest candidate is 82 years old and the youngest is a 12-year-old high school student who registers for the level 3 exam. This is the second time for both of them, VNA reported. In the interview at the test-taking site, the 12-year-old candidate shared that this student passed level 4 in the exam in 2022 and this year set to pass the level 3 exam.

Regarding reasons for studying Vietnamese, many candidates are Vietnamese-language major in colleges or studying or doing jobs related to Vietnamese like interpreter and translator. There are candidates who friended with many Vietnamese expats in Japan. They aim to gain an understanding of the country and people via language.

Level-3 Contestant Ryoko, a Vietnamese translator who used to live in Ho Chi Minh City for a year, said that in 2022 she failed to pass, so she retakes the test this year. Ryoko loves Vietnamese people's hospitality and wants to go back one day.

Contestant Ryoko, a Vietnamese translator who lived in Ho Chi Minh City for a year (Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/VNA)

Meanwhile, level-2 contestant Nakamura, from Nagano Prefecture, said that he is an interpreter for the government of Ueda city in Nagano province. Nakamura studied Vietnamese because he wants to support the Vietnamese in Japan as well as the Japanese in Vietnam.

Mr. Nakamura, from Nagano Prefecture, is currently an interpreter for the government of Ueda city in Nagano province (Photo: Nguyen Tuyen/VNA)

Representing the organizing committee, the Chairman of the Association for Universalization and Exchange of Languages ​​of Southeast Asian Countries in Japan Fujino Masayoshi stated that many candidates, who already passed the exam in 2022, continued to register for this year's exam at a higher level. This shows that the candidates continue to improve their Vietnamese language ability and the number of candidates registered at advanced levels will much more likely increase in the exam next year. The 7th Vietnamese language proficiency test is expected to take place on June 16, 2024.

According to Chairman of the Bunsai Gakuen Non-Profit Education Association Ise Yoji, believes exchange and cooperation activities between the two countries are growing rapidly with the growing size of Japan's population who takes interest in Vietnam. They not only have a good impression of the country and people of Vietnam but also are motivated to learn Vietnamese.

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