Free Practice Questions for LC Japanese
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Key Facts: LC Japanese Exam
4 skills
Leaving Certificate Japanese assesses speaking, listening, reading and writing
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus / State Examinations Commission
25% oral
Speaking is weighted at 25% at both Higher and Ordinary Level
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus
20 min oral
About twenty minutes are allotted per candidate for the oral examination
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus / CareersPortal subject guide
Pre-A1/A1
Japanese is pitched at ab initio level, broadly Pre-A1/A1 CEFR (LanguagesConnect)
LanguagesConnect Leaving Certificate Languages Information Sheet
HL writing 25%
At Higher Level written production is 25% of total marks (20% at Ordinary Level)
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus
Aural in English
Listening comprehension questions are answered in English
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus
3 strands
Communicative proficiency, language awareness and cultural awareness
NCCA Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus
100
Free original single-best-answer practice questions here
OpenExamPrep
Leaving Certificate Japanese is Ireland's ab initio Japanese subject (Higher and Ordinary), set by NCCA and examined by the SEC through speaking, listening, reading and writing. Expectations are pitched broadly at Pre-A1/A1, with full kana, required kanji, basic grammar and culture. Higher Level weights writing more (25%) and listening less (20%) than Ordinary Level (writing 20%, listening 25%). This free 100-question bank gives original single-best-answer practice on scripts, kanji, particles, communicative topics, culture and exam structure.
Sample LC Japanese Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC Japanese exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1According to LanguagesConnect guidance on Leaving Certificate languages, at which overall proficiency pitch is Japanese set?
2Which body develops the Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus content?
3Who administers and marks the Leaving Certificate Japanese examinations?
4At Higher Level, what is the mark weighting for speaking (oral)?
5At Ordinary Level, what is the mark weighting for listening comprehension?
6At Higher Level, what is the combined weighting of reading and writing?
7How does Ordinary Level differ from Higher Level in skill weighting?
8Approximately how long is the Leaving Certificate Japanese oral examination per candidate?
9Which set correctly lists the four elements of the Japanese oral examination?
10In which language do candidates answer Leaving Certificate Japanese listening (aural) questions?
About the LC Japanese Exam
Leaving Certificate Japanese is a curricular modern foreign language under the NCCA syllabus (Ordinary and Higher Level), examined by the SEC. LanguagesConnect describes Japanese (with Mandarin Chinese) as pitched at ab initio level and broadly aligned with Pre-A1/A1 of the CEFR. The syllabus is communicative and organised around Basic Communicative Proficiency, Language Awareness and Cultural Awareness behavioural objectives—covering greetings and social relations, plans, weather, travel, shopping, emergencies, feelings, discussion, messages, script and grammar awareness, and Japanese–Irish cultural comparison. Learners develop hiragana, katakana, the required kanji list, polite です/ます Japanese and intercultural competence. Assessment emphasises the four skills with differentiated receptive/productive weightings at Ordinary vs Higher level.
Exam sponsor: State Examinations Commission (SEC), Ireland. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Four SEC skill components at Higher and Ordinary level. Higher Level: speaking 25%, listening 20%, reading 30%, writing 25%. Ordinary Level: speaking 25%, listening 25%, reading 30%, writing 20%. Oral (about 20 minutes): general conversation, role-play, development of the role-play theme, and picture description with related discussion. Aural: candidates answer in English. Written paper includes reading comprehension and written production tasks based on syllabus content.
Time Limit
Oral about 20 minutes during the SEC oral window. Aural and written papers are sat in the June Leaving Certificate examination period under SEC timings for that year.
Passing Score
No fixed pass mark. Results are reported on the H1-H8 scale at Higher Level or O1-O8 at Ordinary Level (H1/O1 = 90-100% down to H8/O8 below 30%).
Exam / Certification Fees
Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Scripts: hiragana and katakana
Practice covers the two syllabaries, voiced marks (dakuten/handakuten), small っ, long vowels, yōon (きゃ etc.), particle readings (は/を/へ), and when Japanese conventionally uses katakana for loanwords.
Kanji and literacy
Practice covers high-frequency required kanji (numbers, days, school, person, country, food, motion verbs) and simple compounds used in ab initio reading texts.
Grammar and particles
Practice covers です/ます, は/が, を/に/で/と/も/の, time and place patterns, い/な adjectives, ました past, ません negative, か questions, たい and basic request forms.
Communicative vocabulary and functions
Practice covers greetings, self-introduction, family, school, food, shopping, directions, weather, plans and courtesy phrases needed for oral role-play and simple writing.
Culture and intercultural awareness
Practice covers everyday Japanese life, festivals, etiquette (shoes, bowing, chopsticks), Ireland–Japan links, politeness culture and comparing Irish and Japanese norms.
Exam structure and assessment
Practice covers the four skill weights at Higher and Ordinary level, 20-minute oral format, aural answers in English, reading/writing task types and H/O grade bands.
Preparing for the LC Japanese Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No fixed pass mark. Results are reported on the H1-H8 scale at Higher Level or O1-O8 at Ordinary Level (H1/O1 = 90-100% down to H8/O8 below 30%).
- Assessment: Four SEC skill components at Higher and Ordinary level. Higher Level: speaking 25%, listening 20%, reading 30%, writing 25%. Ordinary Level: speaking 25%, listening 25%, reading 30%, writing 20%. Oral (about 20 minutes): general conversation, role-play, development of the role-play theme, and picture description with related discussion. Aural: candidates answer in English. Written paper includes reading comprehension and written production tasks based on syllabus content.
- Time limit: Oral about 20 minutes during the SEC oral window. Aural and written papers are sat in the June Leaving Certificate examination period under SEC timings for that year.
- Exam / certification fees: Candidates in recognised schools do not pay a separate sitting fee; external and repeat candidates pay an examination fee set annually by the State Examinations Commission. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
LC Japanese: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate Japanese examined?
Through four skill components examined by the SEC: speaking (oral), listening (aural), reading comprehension and written production. Higher and Ordinary levels use the same syllabus but different mark weightings and language complexity.
What are the Higher and Ordinary Level mark weights?
Higher Level: speaking 25%, listening 20%, reading 30%, writing 25%. Ordinary Level: speaking 25%, listening 25%, reading 30%, writing 20%. Ordinary Level places relatively more weight on listening and less on writing.
What CEFR level is Leaving Certificate Japanese?
LanguagesConnect states that Japanese and Mandarin Chinese are pitched at ab initio level and broadly aligned with Pre-A1/A1 of the CEFR, reflecting the extra time needed to master the writing systems compared with many European languages.
What happens in the Japanese oral exam?
About twenty minutes per candidate: general conversation based on the syllabus, a role-play, discussion developing the role-play theme, and description of a picture with related themes/topics.
In which language do candidates answer the aural paper?
Candidates listen to Japanese recordings and answer the comprehension questions in English, demonstrating understanding of general information and specific details.
Are these official State Examinations Commission questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep single-best-answer concept questions modelled on the NCCA syllabus. The SEC publishes official past papers and marking schemes separately, and you should also practise full oral, aural and written tasks.