The multiple choice answer sheets are scanned into a computer and presumably calculated immediately (or at least once they're all scanned in). Why does it take two months for us to hear back?
I’m pretty sure it’s because there are still alot of manual work before actually releasing them.. you know japan are slow on things like modernization.
The JLPT scoring system is wacky in that it needs to have everyone else’s answers scanned. Basically they lower or increase the weighting of different questions depending on how everyone else does on them. I think that’s the biggest part of why it takes a long time.
They’re graded by a mechanical computer that is powered by tanuki running in giant wheels, you gotta give them time and let them rest every once in a while, sheesh
Take it as a lesson on Japanese operational efficiency.
The JLPT is administered simultaneously across the globe. After completion, the tests are initially checked on-site, then packed and shipped to the Japan Foundation’s Tokyo office. This process takes time, and it is likely that grading only begins once all packages have been received. Subsequently, the stages of diploma production, including manufacturing, stamping, signing, and double-checking, are undertaken. Preparation for mailing the diplomas also adds to the timeline. These delays are probably exacerbated by Japan’s extensive bureaucratic procedures and the semi-governmental nature of the Japan Foundation. Yet due to it being a semi-government agency the JLPT remains affordably priced, and executing it isn’t cheap at all, it is probably a money sink for the Japanese government. In contrast, American organizations like ETS, which administers the TOEFL, claim non-profit status yet operate almost as private enterprises, manage grading and scoring operations much more rapidly partly because they charge significantly higher fees—up to four times more than the Japan Foundation—despite the similar scale of effort involved.
they grade all of them before releasing any scores.
Back in my day we could find the test answers online right after the test because someone always smuggled out a test booklet. Usually they could be found on Chinese sites.
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I’m pretty sure it’s because there are still alot of manual work before actually releasing them.. you know japan are slow on things like modernization.
The JLPT scoring system is wacky in that it needs to have everyone else’s answers scanned. Basically they lower or increase the weighting of different questions depending on how everyone else does on them. I think that’s the biggest part of why it takes a long time.
They’re graded by a mechanical computer that is powered by tanuki running in giant wheels, you gotta give them time and let them rest every once in a while, sheesh
Take it as a lesson on Japanese operational efficiency.
The JLPT is administered simultaneously across the globe. After completion, the tests are initially checked on-site, then packed and shipped to the Japan Foundation’s Tokyo office. This process takes time, and it is likely that grading only begins once all packages have been received. Subsequently, the stages of diploma production, including manufacturing, stamping, signing, and double-checking, are undertaken. Preparation for mailing the diplomas also adds to the timeline. These delays are probably exacerbated by Japan’s extensive bureaucratic procedures and the semi-governmental nature of the Japan Foundation. Yet due to it being a semi-government agency the JLPT remains affordably priced, and executing it isn’t cheap at all, it is probably a money sink for the Japanese government. In contrast, American organizations like ETS, which administers the TOEFL, claim non-profit status yet operate almost as private enterprises, manage grading and scoring operations much more rapidly partly because they charge significantly higher fees—up to four times more than the Japan Foundation—despite the similar scale of effort involved.
they grade all of them before releasing any scores.
Back in my day we could find the test answers online right after the test because someone always smuggled out a test booklet. Usually they could be found on Chinese sites.