Changes to EIKEN Tests – Summer 2016

Some sections of the EIKEN tests have changed this summer. Starting from the first administration of the 2016 EIKEN tests in June, changes have been made to the writing sections and the scoring criteria have also been adjusted.
Students preparing to take the EIKEN tests will know the importance of getting to know the structure of the exams. Each part of the test has a very distinctive structure which can be confusing for candidates. That is why our EIKEN preparation course is designed not only to prepare students for the language they will find in the exam, but also to help them to become familiar with the exam structure. This helps students to feel more confident on examination day.
There have been changes to the format and scoring system of all grades of the EIKEN tests this year. I have summarised these changes below for each grade, starting with the most advanced; Grade 1.
Grade 1
(*CEFR level C1) | [
Changes to the writing section
Changes to the rating criteria
Changes to the scoring
|
Grade Pre-1
(*CEFR level B2)
|
Changes to the writing section
Changes to the rating criteria
Changes to the scoring
|
Grade 2
(*CEFR level B1)
|
Changes to the writing section
Changes to the rating criteria
Changes to the reading section
Changes to the scoring
|
Grade Pre-2
(*CEFR level A2)
|
Changes to the reading section
Changes to the scoring
|
Grade 3
(*CEFR level A1)
|
Changes to the scoring
|
**The 4 Analytic Rating criteria for the writing section of Grade 1, Pre-1 and 2 are defined in the following way:
- Content: the extent to which the response fully answers the topic question
- Coherence and Cohesion: the extent to which the flow is logical and cohesive
- Vocabulary: the extent to which the vocabulary is appropriate to the topic question and whether it is used accurately
- Grammar: the extent to which the examinee shows a variety of grammar structures and whether they have been used accurately
Due to the complicated instructions and format of the exam, Intrepid English does not cover Grades 4 and 5 because it is recommended that students preparing for these grades work with an English teacher who can also speak Japanese.
If you would like to prepare for Grades 1 – 3 with an experienced native English teacher, you can book a lesson by going to our EIKEN Exam Preparation Course page.
For more information, please visit the EIKEN website or for more information in Japanese see this press release.

This blog post was written and recorded by Lorraine.
You can find out more about Lorraine and connect with her
by visiting her Intrepid English Teacher Profile Page.
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