Kentei
Kanji Kentei Level 10
The most basic level in Kanji Kentei. This route centers on starter kanji commonly learned in the first years of elementary school.
80 kanjiCatalog
Kanji Kentei
Browse kanji by Kanji Kentei level from 10 to 1 and pre-level groups.
Kanji Kentei (漢字検定), or the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test, is an official national certification exam system in Japan that focuses purely on testing skill in reading and writing kanji characters.
Different from JLPT, this comprehensive exam is not only taken by foreign learners of Japanese, but is also massively taken by native speakers (the general Japanese public) to refine their literacy precision.
This collection arranges thousands of kanji according to the structural requirements of each passing level, very useful for Japanese-language enthusiasts who want to pursue this prestigious qualification.
What is the difference between Kanken and JLPT?
JLPT tests Japanese proficiency as a whole (grammar, listening, vocabulary, reading) for non-Japanese speakers. Kanken, meanwhile, specifically focuses on detailed kanji expertise (readings, precise stroke writing order, radical history, and meaning origins).
Does Kanken require writing?
Yes, this is the main characteristic and difficulty of Kanken (especially intermediate and advanced levels) because participants are required and tested to reproduce or write precise kanji forms manually by hand.
Who is Kanken for?
Beyond regular Japanese middle school students who often use it as an evaluation benchmark and academic report support, advanced international learners (who often already hold JLPT N1) are interested in taking Kanken to prove their true mastery of Japanese.
Kentei
Kanji Kentei Level 9
The second Kanji Kentei layer, covering early elementary-school kanji that remain very fundamental for everyday reading and writing.
158 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 8
A stage that starts expanding elementary-school kanji coverage with more active reading and writing demands and a wider range of usage contexts.
192 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 7
A kanji group aligned with mid-elementary-school ability, suitable for learners who have already passed the early foundation.
197 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 6
This Kanji Kentei level takes learners into upper elementary-school material with denser vocabulary and usage.
191 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 5
A level that brings together the core educational kanji through the end of elementary school and becomes an important footing before entering the intermediate levels.
182 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 4
An intermediate level that expands everyday kanji into a broader Jōyō range, including readings, synonyms, and usage in phrases.
303 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 3
An early advanced track for learners already comfortable with common kanji and starting to enter more demanding vocabulary and readings.
273 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Pre-Level 2
An important transition stage toward Level 2, with material that starts approaching the range of everyday adult kanji.
313 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 2
One of the highest practical targets for many native speakers and serious learners, with a very broad range of common kanji.
190 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Pre-Level 1
A very advanced level that bridges Level 2 to Level 1 with characters, readings, and usage that are far rarer.
933 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 1
The highest Kanji Kentei level, containing the most difficult and rare characters in the standard level system.
2,773 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Level 1 / Pre-Level 1
A boundary group for characters classified between Level 1 and Pre-Level 1.
382 kanjiKentei
Kanji Kentei Outside Classification
Characters marked outside the twelve main Kanji Kentei levels in the reference source used by this project.
6,865 kanji