How do you say "exam" in Japanese?

試験

shiken

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "exam" is 試験 (shiken).

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Pronunciation

Pronounce shi-KEN, two syllables with a short clipped shi and a firm nasal ken.

Writing and usage

試験 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

彼女は試験のために一生懸命勉強した。

kanojo ha shiken notameni isshoukenmei benkyou shita.

She studied hard for the exam.

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How to remember 試験

Shiken sounds a bit like 'she can' - picture a confident student walking in ready for the exam.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 試験

How do you pronounce 試験?

Pronounce shi-KEN, two syllables with a short clipped shi and a firm nasal ken.

Is 試験 formal or casual?

試験 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 試験 written in Japanese?

試験 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as shiken.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Exam" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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