Japanese symbol for “exam”
試験
しけん
Romaji: shiken
examination; exam; test
In Japanese, exam is 試験, read しけん (shiken).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, vs, vt examination; exam; test
- n, vs, vt trial; experiment; test
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “exam”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| テスト | テスト tesuto | test (of ability, knowledge, etc.); exam; examination |
| 試 | し shi | testing; experiment; test |
| 考試 | こうし koushi | test; exam |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 試合 | しあい shiai | match; game; bout |
| 試し | ためし tameshi | trial; test; try |
| 試み | こころみ kokoromi | attempt; trial; experiment |
| 入試 | にゅうし nyuushi | entrance examination |
| 試す | ためす tamesu | to try (out); to have a try (at); to test |
| 経験 | けいけん keiken | experience |
| 体験 | たいけん taiken | (practical) experience; personal experience; hands-on experience |
| 実験 | じっけん jikken | experiment; experimentation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “exam”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.