EIKEN study plan
EIKEN · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Reading & Writing
Skim one 600-800 word expository passage daily and write a one-sentence main-idea summary for each
Build a personal list of 60 academic and news-register words drawn from those passages, with a Japanese gloss and one original example sentence each
Draft two opinion paragraphs of 80-120 words under a 20-minute timer, each with a clear claim and two supporting reasons
Diagnose your baseline by completing one full past-paper reading section untimed and tabulate errors by question type (detail, inference, vocabulary, main idea)
Your checkpoint
A baseline error table listing reading question types with your accuracy rate per type, plus a 60-word vocabulary log with example sentences.
Reading & Writing
Practise scanning for specific details in 3 timed passages per session, capping each passage at 6 minutes
Identify and rewrite the topic sentence of every paragraph in two long passages to sharpen structural reading
Write two 120-150 word EIKEN-style opinion essays using a fixed template: position, two reasons with examples, conclusion
Review every wrong answer and write the line number in the passage that justifies the correct choice
Your checkpoint
Two completed 120-150 word essays with a self-marked checklist of claim, reasons, examples, and conclusion, plus an annotated set of 6 timed passages.
Writing & Reading
Produce four timed 150-200 word essays across common prompt themes (education, technology, environment, work) at 25 minutes each
Self-edit each essay against a rubric covering task response, coherence, vocabulary range, and grammar accuracy, then rewrite one paragraph
Complete two full reading sections under exam timing and record your score trend
Paraphrase 20 sentences from reading passages to build the rewording skill needed for summary and essay prompts
Your checkpoint
A portfolio of four timed essays with marked-up first drafts and revised versions, plus a paraphrasing sheet of 20 rewritten sentences.
Writing & Reading
Write two full-length essays in 25 minutes each without a dictionary and score them against the rubric
Reduce recurring grammar errors by logging every mistake from weeks 1-3 into a personal top-10 error list and drilling them
Complete one full reading section under strict timing and target 70 percent or higher accuracy
Read one long passage aloud daily to reinforce sentence rhythm and clause boundaries used in writing
Your checkpoint
A mid-point progress report showing reading accuracy per question type and essay rubric scores across all six essays written so far.
Milestones
Week 4: Score at least 70 percent on a timed full reading section and average at least 3 of 5 on the essay rubric across your last two essays; if either target is missed, add 30 minutes per week to reading and writing in weeks 5-6.
Week 6: Explain a 150-word passage aloud in 60 seconds with no notes and no more than three hesitations, and score at least 75 percent on a timed reading section.
Week 8: Complete a full mock under exam conditions in all four domains and confirm every domain score is at or above your target band, with no domain below 60 percent.