Five decades — 80 million examinees

The Society for Testing English Proficiency (STEP) is Japan’s largest testing body and a leader in international education. Established in 1963 in cooperation with the Japanese education ministry, STEP is a nonprofit foundation with a clear purpose: to advance English learning in Japan by providing accessible, affordable assessment tools for learners at all proficiency levels.

Now in its fifth decade, STEP administers a wide range of English tests for education and business, sponsors and conducts research into testing and language acquisition, and plays an active role in international conferences and testing councils.

STEP is best known for its main product, the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency, one of the world’s most widely administered language tests.

EIKEN

• Japan’s leading language assessment
• Backed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT)
• Four skills, with compulsory speaking test
• 2.3 million examinees annually at 18,000 test sites
• 80 million examinees since 1963

Internationally, a growing number of colleges, universities, and institutes in America, Australia, Canada, and the UK recognize EIKEN test results for international admissions.