Retake JLPT N1 for changing jobs when you got it years before?

18 comments

1. I wouldn’t take it, I think it’s more important to be able to speak Japanese during the interview

2. If the jobs you are applying to ask for it, yes. If not, no. I’ve never done a job that asks for this, or even know what it is.

3. I passed N1 in 2011. I had to (or was at least recommended to as 判断材料) submit a copy of the certificate when I applied for a work visa in 2015.

   When looking for new jobs last year, I included it on my resume under certifications.

   Nobody cared when it was dated, nobody asked me to submit a copy of it.

   I got through the document selection at multiple companies and went for interviews at several places. The fact that I could very obviously speak and read Japanese and had been working in a Japanese company for years seemed to be proof enough.

   I would put it on your resume. It will be a documented example of you knowing Japanese and it will likely get you through some automatic or digital filters. I personally wouldn’t bother re-taking it, I don’t think having it dated 2023 will make a difference. If you were not asked for documentation in 2017 for similar jobs in a similar industry, I see not big reason that anything would have changed since then.

4. No. But if you’re really want/need to show of on the interviews I would suggest JPT. Anytime, fast answer, more professional results.

5. As long as you come across being able to understand N1 language at the interview then nobody will care. If your Japanese has lapsed badly since then, then brusing up your spoken Japanese with practice or just increased exposure may be helpful. The N1 rank should say “will have no problem in a 100% Japanese language environment”.

6. If you just can’t find the paper you should be able to ask them to reissue it for 1000 yen.

7. It depends on what you have been doing since. I got JPLT 1 back in 2007, but I’ve been doing translation and interpreting since, so it’s clear that I’ve kept up on my Japanese. If you have been doing work that involves daily use of Japanese ever since, then it won’t matter as much that your certificate is old.

8. If you do decide to apply to have it reissued, do it sooner rather than later, there’s a backlog of several months wait. Edit- how long it takes and how much it costs seems to vary depending on there you took it. I have looked into it because mine mysteriously disappeared in the mail and that’s the only way to get one. Pre 2009 tests they issue a slightly different piece of paper but they will still send proof that you passed. Old level 1 and new N1 are considered the same level, N3 was added to bridge the gap in the middle.

   I’d just fill out the certificate reissue form and then if you need it, you will have it.

9. I don’t think anyone will care unless you are applying for sales jobs that require native skills. They scrutinize for sales roles a lot but if you have a decent command to go through interviews you’ll be fine.

10. To add to all the no’s: no, and especially because you won’t get results till late January. Registration for the July test is long gone so you’ll have to wait till December to take it. Save the yen. If you just put 日本語能力試験最上級 I don’t think anyone will care one way or another.

11. No job ever asked me for my paper.

    What are they gonna ask? “We know we have been conversing with you in full Japanese at our normal speed for an entire hour but can you please send us a paper to prove that you can, indeed, speak Japanese?”

12. I’ve never had my level formally certified. I passed N2 informally some 15 years ago when a past test was used to assess my japanese level for class placement. I don’t know where I am now but assume it’s somewhere close to N1 but not there as I have never studied for the esoteric japanese I would assume would be in it, but carry out most of my work and life in Japanese.

    The lack of “official” proof has never been an issue. I wrote out my rirekisho by hand in japanese and then interviewed in japanese. That was enough for my interviewers to understand “oh yeah communication won’t be an issue”. Honestly, like the toeic tests it’s a kind of stupid certification anyway as it only proves comprehension, not ability. The testing here all seems to be that way. I just took the electricians paper exam yesterday and I would say I did pretty well, but a lot of it was rote memorization of some matters of code. I still don’t feel like I’d be capable of doing some of the work a “第2種電気工事士” would be legally allowed to. I’m only doing the exam to work on my own home, and am obviously taking those parts much more seriously, but the whole thing made me a lot more dubious of hiring an electrician to do work. The book I used(a popular one as I saw many others cramming before the exam also reading from it), encouraged people to aim to score on the rote memorization stuff and not worry too much about the electrical theory since that is the “fastest way to passing”. Shit’s crazy and I wouldn’t lend too much credence to most certifications after experiencing it.

13. You can order a copy of the certificate from the website if someone asks for it. I wouldn’t retake it simply because it looks better to show that you were able to pass it all those years ago, then use your resume and the interview to show how your skills have only increased since then.

    For what it’s worth I’ve never shown a copy of my certificate, which I lost years ago. It’s just a bullet on my resume. Most Japanese people have never heard of it and most companies don’t ask for it and don’t care.

14. If you wanna wow people, you can do the 日本語検定… Or whatever one Japanese people take. The questions are a lot more “native-level” and would always create conversation.

    To be honest, I think most people confuse the one Japanese people take with the one foreigners take.

    There’s also a 漢字検定 if you really hate yourself.

15. Do you need any certian JLPT level to apply for visa or can you apply without a JLPT certificatr

16. >(It wasn’t called N1 yet back then but just JLPT 1) I think it’s worth nothing anymore now and I can’t find the paper anymore…

    I would just write N1 anyway. The chances of most HR departments knowing that it used to be called JLPT 1 instead of N1 (and presumably was structured slightly differently) is pretty slim. It’s not as if you’re misrepresenting your Japanese abilities (presumably you’re way above N1 by now).

    Also as others have said, just go online and order another copy of your certificate, shouldn’t be a big deal at all.

    (P.S. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to present my N1 certificate during jobhunting, although I did always take it with me just in case).

17. Any job that requires you to have N1 Japanese (whatever that means) better actually interview you in Japanese in the context of the job. The paper is useless. So if someone asks “how good is your Japanese?” The correct response is “show me what you want me to read/write/converse”.

18. I passed the jlpt 1 in 2009 or so, 2014 I wanted to do an exchange program for university. The Japanese university wanted a jlpt taken within 1 year, so I retook it. (this time the new N1, and even got full marks lol)
    Ever since, i have been living in Japan and no one ever wanted to see it as they can tell that i have no problems communicating. Even if, i probably would not retake it without anyone actually asking for it.
    I would highly question any company that wants to see a (not very important) certificate for the language they are communicating with you.