Koydo
CDLNCLEXIELTSOpen Koydo

KET · Everyday Vocabulary · Japan

Everyday Vocabulary for the KET Exam — Japanese candidates

10% of the KET test plan. Core A2 vocabulary for daily life: food, transport, home, health, shopping, and directions. Calibrated for Japanese candidates.

For candidates aiming to clear this exam on the first attempt, the difference between Band 6 and Band 7+ — or "passing" and "comfortable margin" — usually comes down to fluency on a small number of high-leverage topics. Everyday Vocabulary sits at roughly 10% of the Cambridge Key English Test (A2) content distribution — Everyday vocabulary is the foundation of all A2 Key skills. The Cambridge A2 vocabulary list includes approximately 1,200 words in topic groups. Gaps in core vocabulary directly cause incorrect reading, listening, writing, and speaking answers. Pass rates for the KET are published annually by the awarding body and vary by cohort and locale. For Japanese candidates preparing for KET, the calibration of study to local context matters: TOEIC is the dominant English credential in Japan. JLPT is taken by both inbound foreign workers and Japanese students seeking Japanese-language certification.

Pass rates for KET (Japan) are published periodically by the awarding body.

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

  • !Confusing similar-looking words: receipt/recipe, kitchen/chicken, cost/coast
  • !Not knowing prepositions for location: next to, opposite, between, behind, in front of
  • !Limited food vocabulary — food topics appear in nearly every A2 Key paper

Study tips

  • 1Learn vocabulary in topic groups, not in isolation: practice all food words together, all transport words together.
  • 2Use the Cambridge A2 Key Wordlist (downloadable free from Cambridge Assessment website) as your master list.
  • 3Practice prepositions of place with real objects in your home — point and say where things are.
  • 4日本の受験者の方は、KET の各セクションにおいて時間配分の練習が最も重要です — 模擬試験を本番と同じ条件で繰り返してください。

Sample KET Everyday Vocabulary questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real KET questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

  1. 1

    The post office is _____ the bank and the café.

    • Anext to
    • Bopposite
    • CbetweenCorrect
    • Dbehind
    Why this answer?

    "Between" is used for a location in the middle of two specific things. "Next to" means adjacent (one side only); "opposite" means facing across; "behind" means at the back of.

Frequently asked questions

How can I find the official Cambridge A2 Key vocabulary list?
The Cambridge A2 Key Vocabulary List is available free on the Cambridge Assessment English website. It organises approximately 1,200 words into topic groups and shows the forms candidates are expected to know. It is the definitive reference for exam preparation.
What is the KET pass rate for Japanese candidates?
Pass rates for KET candidates in Japan are published periodically by the awarding body. Practice questions, full-length simulations, and weak-area drills are the highest-impact way to improve your odds.
How long should Japanese candidates study Everyday Vocabulary for the KET?
For most candidates, focused mastery of Everyday Vocabulary requires 20–40 hours of deliberate practice — drilling sample questions, reviewing failure modes, and timing yourself against exam conditions. TOEIC is the dominant English credential in Japan. JLPT is taken by both inbound foreign workers and Japanese students seeking Japanese-language certification. Combine Everyday Vocabulary study with full-length mock exams in the final two weeks before your test date.

Practice Cambridge KET (A2) free with Koydo.

Reading & Writing, Listening, and Speaking practice tasks.

Start free KET practice →Practice this topic with AI

Related study guides