EIKEN Grade 1 case studies
EIKEN Grade 1 · Put your knowledge to work in context.
EIKEN Grade 1 (実用英語技能検定 1級) is described by the Eiken Foundation of Japan as the final goal for EIKEN examinees. Candidates are expected to understand and use the English needed to participate effectively in a wide range of social, professional, and educational situations, and the foundation maps the grade to CEFR C1, an EIKEN CSE Score of 2630, a TEAP score of 396, and TOEFL PBT 600 / iBT 100. The EIKEN Grade 1 case studies are 5 cases and about 2,307 words.
1Reading: The Congestion Charge and the Missing Boundary
An opinion column argues that Riverton's three-year-old congestion charge has 'proved the environmentalists right.' It reports that traffic volume inside the charging zone fell 18% and that nitrogen dioxide readings at two central monitoring stations dropped 12%. The column also notes that retail vacancy inside the zone rose from 7% to 11%, but calls this 'a price worth paying.' A footnote states that boundary roads were not monitored.
513 words, about 3 min2Writing: Legacy Admissions and a Predicted Donor Revolt
Your Grade 1 writing task gives two short extracts and asks: 'Should universities end legacy preferences in admissions?' Extract A is from a dean: legacy status is 'one factor among many,' and ending it would cut annual giving by about 6%, a prediction based on donor conversations; he cites a new library funded by a legacy family. Extract B is from an economist: at one university, legacy applicants were 3.1 times more likely to be admitted than non-legacy applicants with similar scores, and 62% of legacy admits came from the top income quintile.
506 words, about 3 min3Listening: The Mozart Effect and the Policy Leap
A lecture podcast begins: 'You've probably heard that listening to Mozart makes you smarter. The original 1993 study did not test intelligence.
430 words, about 2 min4Speaking: Narrating a Near-Miss and Defending a Sidewalk Ban
Your speaking prompt is a four-step written sequence, not a picture: Step 1, a cyclist rides fast along a sidewalk. Step 2, a pedestrian wearing headphones steps out from behind a parked van.
439 words, about 2 min5Reading: The Open-Plan Office and the Ironic Triumph
Passage: 'The new open-plan office was a triumph of collaboration. By removing walls, the company removed the last barriers to communication: the marketing team could now hear the finance team's printer jam, and the engineers could enjoy the sales team's motivational playlist at 8:30 a.m.
419 words, about 2 min