In October 2019, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) announced postponing the scheduled introduction of private-sector Englishproficiency tests as part of standardized university entrance examinations in the first quarterof 2020 (Kyodo, 2019a). In the original plan, the new test is to replace the current NationalCenter Test for University Admission, jointly administered by the state-affiliated NationalCenter for University Entrance Examinations and universities. While the current standardizedentrance exam only evaluates takers’ English reading and listening skills, the private-sectortest could also evaluate writing and speaking skills in a more comprehensive manner (Kyodo,2019b). Johnston (2019) pinpoints that criticism about the private-sector test in multipleaspects, the test location, higher fees, and one operator of “Test of English for InternationalCommunication (TOEIC)” has withdrawn from participation. Finally, the National Associationof Upper Secondary School Principals in September requested the cancellation, or at least arevision of the planned introduction of the English proficiency tests in 2020 for the lack ofinformation that MEXT needs to, in fact, take corrective measures.A researcher has been utilizing the EIKEN Tests (Test in Practical English Proficiency,known as EIKEN below) on university first-year students as a kind of self-learning in thecompulsory course at Niigata University of International and Information Studies (knownas NUIS below) since 2014. Although the potential value and effectiveness of the test areproved by quantitative findings and analysis of students’ results, it still carries meanings tostudy further about the influences of EIKEN tests on EFL class in Japan. In this paper, theresearcher is going to look at some positive reviews from test takers at NUIS, which has beenawarded the MEXT Minister Prize for two continuous years the largest number of EIKENtests’ passers. Also, the researcher is going to see the validation of EIKEN Tests among EFLlearners in Japan territory educational institutes
