This study aims to investigate kanji knowledge in students coming from non-kanji backgrounds who are majoring in science and engineering. It also suggests a list of recommended kanji these students need to acquire. We analyzed Japanese senior high school physics textbooks which are used by the students before they enter university and prepared kanji quizzes based upon kanji they have already been exposed to. We found that students had a good understanding of the 300 kanji most frequently used in their textbooks, but they still do not have enough kanji knowledge of non-scientific kanji generally used in written language.
