The Path to Eiken Pre-1: The Clock Restriction and Passing the Exam

Overview
Scores
Memories of the Exam
But why Eiken?

Overview

I passed the exam, so here are my thoughts. My journey to Eiken Pre-1 so far:

Scores

Test: 2024, 3rd session (January 26, 2025 & March 2, 2025)
Total Score: 2435/3000
Overall CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Level: B2
Eiken CSE Scores (Common Scale for English):
- Reading: 639/750
- Listening: 637/750
- Writing: 614/750
- Speaking: 545/750
Raw Scores:
- Reading: 26/31 (5 mistakes, 84%) Above the average pass rate
- Listening: 22/29 (7 mistakes, 76%) Above the average pass rate
- Writing: 21/32 (66%) Below the average pass rate
- Speaking:
  - Narration: 14/15
  - Q&A: 11/20
  - Attitude: 3/3
Eiken Band Score (Distance from the passing threshold):
- First Stage (Written Exam): +4
- Second Stage (Speaking Test): +2

Memories of the Exam

Let's start with the first stage.

Wait, there's no clock in the classroom?!
- The test venue was a university campus. I had wrongly assumed that "there's always a clock in a classroom."
- As a result, Midori-san's Eiken Pre-1 debut turned into a "clock restriction challenge."
  - (Midori-san's watch is a smartwatch, so it wasn't allowed.)
- Not knowing the time during an exam is absolutely brutal.
- In the end, I only had 25 minutes for the writing section, even though I usually take 40 minutes.
  - (I asked the proctor for the time after finishing the reading section. That was a terrifying moment.)
The classroom was freezing.
- In the second half, my hands were shaking while filling in the answer sheet, and my skin turned pale.
- Seriously, give me a break.

Overall, the test conditions were terrible. But well, this was probably due to my own inexperience with exams.

But why Eiken?

The direct reason was a suggestion from a friend last year:
"You usually study Romanian for fun, so why not try taking Eiken next?"

But what truly motivated me to push for Pre-1 was a memory from high school.

Back then, I had an amazing friend, K, who was both academically outstanding and athletically skilled. I admired K a lot. We both took the Eiken Pre-1 exam.

I absolutely hated studying, so I did zero preparation and, of course, failed.
But K passed. That day, I realized that I could never beat K. That was a painful memory.

But what about now?
Maybe now, I could finally catch up to K.
I will catch up to her!

…That thought fueled me for the past year.

And in the end, I did it.

Bringing closure to an old memory like this… it actually feels pretty good.

That said, Eiken Pre-1 was seriously tough.
So, what on earth was K, passing this as a high schooler?!