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 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.

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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 test your LC Japanese exam readiness. 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?

A.Ab initio, broadly Pre-A1/A1 CEFR

B.B2 independent-user CEFR only

C.Native-speaker C2 proficiency

D.JLPT N1 only

Explanation: 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 time needed for the writing systems.

2Which body develops the Leaving Certificate Japanese syllabus content?

A.Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) alone

B.National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)

C.JLPT administration office

D.Council of Europe CEFR board only

Explanation: The NCCA develops Irish senior-cycle syllabuses, including Leaving Certificate Japanese; the SEC examines candidates.

3Who administers and marks the Leaving Certificate Japanese examinations?

A.NCCA only (no separate examiner)

B.Local school principals only

C.State Examinations Commission (SEC)

D.Embassy of Japan in Dublin only

Explanation: The State Examinations Commission sets and marks Leaving Certificate examinations, including Japanese oral, aural and written components.

4At Higher Level, what is the mark weighting for speaking (oral)?

A.10%

B.40%

C.50%

D.25%

Explanation: At both Higher and Ordinary Level, speaking is weighted at 25% of total marks in the NCCA Japanese syllabus assessment table.

5At Ordinary Level, what is the mark weighting for listening comprehension?

A.25%

B.20%

C.30%

D.15%

Explanation: Ordinary Level listening is 25%. Higher Level listening is 20%—Ordinary places relatively more weight on this receptive skill.

6At Higher Level, what is the combined weighting of reading and writing?

A.40%

B.55%

C.25%

D.70%

Explanation: Higher Level reading is 30% and writing is 25%, which combine to 55% for the written paper skills.

7How does Ordinary Level differ from Higher Level in skill weighting?

A.Ordinary removes the oral completely

B.Ordinary has no reading comprehension

C.Ordinary gives more weight to listening (25% vs 20%) and less to writing (20% vs 25%)

D.Ordinary and Higher use identical percentage tables

Explanation: The syllabus differentiates partly by mark allocation: Ordinary emphasises receptive listening more (25%) and productive writing less (20%) than Higher Level.

8Approximately how long is the Leaving Certificate Japanese oral examination per candidate?

A.About 5 minutes

B.About 20 minutes

C.About 2 hours

D.About 45 seconds

Explanation: The syllabus states that twenty minutes will be allotted per candidate for the oral assessment.

9Which set correctly lists the four elements of the Japanese oral examination?

A.General conversation; role-play; development of role-play theme; picture description and related discussion

B.Dictation only; translation only; essay only; multiple-choice only

C.Group debate only; song performance only; calligraphy only; cooking demo only

D.JLPT vocabulary quiz only; kanji stroke test only; keigo drill only; haiku only

Explanation: The NCCA syllabus specifies general conversation, role-play, development of the role-play theme through discussion, and picture description with related themes/topics.

10In which language do candidates answer Leaving Certificate Japanese listening (aural) questions?

A.Japanese only with no English allowed

B.Irish only

C.English

D.Latin only

Explanation: Candidates listen to Japanese stimuli and answer questions in English on what they have heard, showing understanding of general and specific information.

About the LC Japanese Practice Questions

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Key Facts: LC Japanese Exam

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About the LC Japanese Practice Questions