If you study Japanese, you'll know that it's that time of year again – JLPT testing time! There are only two chances a year, July and December, and with less than a month to go until the December 4th test, I'm feeling the crunch! I've been studying Japanese
for 10 years, including college level courses and self study, and I decided to try my hand at the JLPT for the first time last December. I challenged myself with the N2, since I may as well if I'm going to shell out 50 bucks, and to my delight, I was able to pass! This year I'm being even more ambitious by going where no gaijin has gone before, attempting the N1, the highest level!
I’m sharing my dos and
don’ts tips for you all based on my regrets last time, and what I've learned since then!
Preparing for something as big as the JLPT is definitely an eye-opener. If
you’ve taken it before and met with frustration, don’t get discouraged! Just
read up on my tips!
DO:
-Bring a watch. You may think, "of course they'll have a clock in the room!" Wrong. Do not count on it! Just go to Daiso and buy yourself a cheapo watch, it's much better having something than wondering how much time you've got left. That being said...
-You’ll most likely run out of time, so randomly bubble in the
last ten or so questions just in case. At least you’ll have
a shot at getting a few right.
-Bring food – don’t
expect there to be a convenience store or even a vending machine! I learned this the
hard way and had to survive off the graces of some friends. You don't want to be taking this three hour test on an empty stomach.
-Invest in a textbook
for at least N2 and above. I made it through N2 without using a JLPT-aimed textbook, but
especially for the grammar, having one would have helped a lot. If you’re living in Japan you have access to dozens of books aimed at preparing for the JLPT – if
you’re not in Japan, you may find some difficulty with this. In this case it would be good to
search online. I recommend the Nihongo So-matome series, which has one book for
each category – grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and listening
comprehension – and complete with English explanations. This is a must for
understanding the grammar.
-Do as many online
practice tests as possible. My favorite is Japanesetest4you.com; you can choose
which level and category, and there are tons of tests. This is primarily how I
prepared for the N2 the last few months up until the test. It’s a great way to
test what you know, learn things you didn’t, and chances are if it’s something
on a practice test, it’ll turn up on the real test. There are also free practice tests on the JLPT website.
-Be prepared for the
listening section to be faster than any practice tests (or real life). Gosh, it was so darn fast! Real people don't talk that fast in real life, do they? Also, be prepared for the
speakers to keep changing their minds multiple times during the conversation, frustratingly.
DON’T:
-Drink a lot of fluid
before. You’re not allowed to get up to go to the bathroom until the break,
which for N2 and above is nearly two hours later.
-Read every detail of graph
questions. Just scan for necessary info. These questions should be very quick. Ideally you would do this with all questions, if you had the speed of a native speaker, but this is a timed test, so you may not afford this luxury even with other areas of the test. For kanji, just look at the kanji in question
-Again, don’t expect the
listening (or other) to be the same speed as the practice tests or real life. I
was blown away at N2 at how fast it was – superhuman! The listening is supposed
to be the easiest, yes, but it’s still made challenging as the speakers keep
changing their minds. Study up on grammar and vocabulary, because these come up
in the listening and will make or break your comprehension.
-Feel you failed. Everyone feels like they failed when finishing the test, then are surprised to find out they passed one month later. This is because in Japan tests are designed to be as challenging as possible so that the average passing score is much lower than we’re used to in the west – remember, you only need just over half the points to pass! I was particularly frustrated by feeling that after everything I had learned and all the effort I put into preparing for the test, I wasn’t able to really show what I had learned – yet I was able to get a good score.
Optional:
-Purchase an old version of the test booklet. I bought it off amazon for not too much, you can also access it on the JLPT website for free. It’s a great way to gauge how much time you’re spending on things and what you need to improve your time on for the real test. Again, I recommend doing as many practice tests as possible the few weeks before the test. It will get you used to and familiarize you with the question format.
-Purchase an old version of the test booklet. I bought it off amazon for not too much, you can also access it on the JLPT website for free. It’s a great way to gauge how much time you’re spending on things and what you need to improve your time on for the real test. Again, I recommend doing as many practice tests as possible the few weeks before the test. It will get you used to and familiarize you with the question format.
I know kanji is scary – there are so many of them! But here's a fun way to reduce some of the intimidation, and help you practice vocabulary at the same time, too: invest in a video
game! It’s how I’ve been practicing for the last five years, and I’ve only just
gotten to the final level. There are a number of different games out there but
I’ve been using 200 mannin no kanji
for Nintendo DS. You only need to know how to read the kanji for the test, but you can test yourself in lots of other areas, too (for the game, you have to pass all the categories to advance to the
next level; some are difficult even for native Japanese, so here’s where having a Japanese friend comes in handy). The great thing about the game is its endless, built-in drilling, no make-it-yourself flashcards required.
Even more tips!
There are some other fun ways you can study, too, cause boring old textbooks can diminish your motivation: watching anime and reading manga or magazines and listening to J-pop. This will improve your listening and reading, and give you a much-needed break from boring grammar books. I'm a very visual learner, so I find myself remember things I learned in manga much better than from textbooks, and I can understand how the usage right away. The Sherlock manga series has been fantastic for me since it has tons of high level vocabulary you'll encounter on the test, and I'm already familiar with the content from watching the BBC series – it follows the show pretty much word for word. The trick with using manga is choosing a high enough level that will be useful for the test, but don't count out easier shojo manga, because there's plenty of vocabulary useful in everyday life, plus if it's easier in general you can build up your reading speed. If you're looking for a challenge, I recommend Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom) and my personal favorite, Kuro shitsuji (Black Butler).
Time Management
What the test comes down to, no matter how much you've studied, is time. Limit yourself for each section so you won't be scrambling in all of the others. Be sure to check the time breakdowns for each test, since it varies. With N1, there's 110 minutes for the kanji/grammar/reading, and 60 for listening. The listening will be done the same for everyone, listen ONCE and only ONCE; you have no control over the pacing for this. However you do have control of the rest – so use it wisely! The kanji and grammar should be the quickest parts of the test, so don't get too hung up on them!
Lastly, what is the most difficult part of the test to me?
Even more tips!
There are some other fun ways you can study, too, cause boring old textbooks can diminish your motivation: watching anime and reading manga or magazines and listening to J-pop. This will improve your listening and reading, and give you a much-needed break from boring grammar books. I'm a very visual learner, so I find myself remember things I learned in manga much better than from textbooks, and I can understand how the usage right away. The Sherlock manga series has been fantastic for me since it has tons of high level vocabulary you'll encounter on the test, and I'm already familiar with the content from watching the BBC series – it follows the show pretty much word for word. The trick with using manga is choosing a high enough level that will be useful for the test, but don't count out easier shojo manga, because there's plenty of vocabulary useful in everyday life, plus if it's easier in general you can build up your reading speed. If you're looking for a challenge, I recommend Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom) and my personal favorite, Kuro shitsuji (Black Butler).
What the test comes down to, no matter how much you've studied, is time. Limit yourself for each section so you won't be scrambling in all of the others. Be sure to check the time breakdowns for each test, since it varies. With N1, there's 110 minutes for the kanji/grammar/reading, and 60 for listening. The listening will be done the same for everyone, listen ONCE and only ONCE; you have no control over the pacing for this. However you do have control of the rest – so use it wisely! The kanji and grammar should be the quickest parts of the test, so don't get too hung up on them!
Lastly, what is the most difficult part of the test to me?
I'd have to say it's the long reading passages – I ran out
of time, and it takes a lot of concentration. I think it would be useful to switch
back and forth between a few grammar/kanji questions and the readings just to keep up your pace and not lose concentration. Putting the sentence in the right order is also difficult, but look for things that go together, or what you know cannot go in a certain place.
Again, listening was difficult for me
Lastly, I'll say it again: don't be discouraged! You're supposed to feel like you failed; it's normal. That's why there's such a low passing rate!
Whether you're gearing up for the test in December, planning on taking it next July, or even just considering taking the test, I hope these tips helped! I'm going for the N1 in December, so I’ll let you know how I do!
Again, listening was difficult for me
Lastly, I'll say it again: don't be discouraged! You're supposed to feel like you failed; it's normal. That's why there's such a low passing rate!
Whether you're gearing up for the test in December, planning on taking it next July, or even just considering taking the test, I hope these tips helped! I'm going for the N1 in December, so I’ll let you know how I do!
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