The Test of English
for International Communication (TOEIC) is becoming popular as English is an
essential skill for employees as companies expand overseas. The number of
applicants in Japan for the TOEIC test, which measures English language
skills necessary for international business, in fiscal 2011 increased by
about 30 percent to 2.27 million from the previous fiscal year.
The figure is close
to the 2.3 million who applied to take the Test in Practical English
Proficiency (Eiken) in fiscal 2011. Eiken is the most popular English
proficiency test in Japan, and its Japanese name literally translates to
"English skill test."
It is possible that
TOEIC will replace Eiken as Japan's most popular English language test. TOEIC
has become popular partly because companies have increased their
international activities and students face difficult job markets.
TOEIC was developed
by a U.S. nonprofit test organization and is administered in about 120
countries. In Japan, TOEIC was first available in fiscal 1979.
There is only one
difficulty level for the TOEIC exam, and all test takers are evaluated on a
scale of 10 to 990 points. Many TOEIC applicants are university students and
working adults.
Eiken was introduced
in fiscal 1963 and is Japan's original English proficiency exam. Test takers
sit for seven different exam difficulty levels--5, 4, 3, pre-2, 2, pre-1 and
1 with 1 being the most difficult. Many Eiken applicants are middle and high
school students.
The Institute for
International Business Communication (IIBC), the Tokyo-based organization
that administers TOEIC tests in Japan, said the main reason behind the rising
number of TOEIC applicants is that more companies are using TOEIC scores as a
condition for in-house promotions or hiring requirements for new graduates as
they increasingly expand their business overseas.
(Yomiuri, Apr 15)
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