Berry's JLPT and General Test Prep Guide and Checklist

I’ll work on rephrasing it then. The only part you need to really actively watch is for when there’s 5 min left. Otherwise tracking is more to make sure you don’t spend more than 1-2 min per question (or whatever timing depending on your level).

Hmm. I’m very tempted to leave that section nice and short like it is. That far out is absolutely the perfect time to work on your weaknesses though.

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the thing with keeping track of time probably applies more to exams where you have open-ended questions. at uni we’d often get exams which were like, here’s 3 problems, please answer 2 of them, in essay form. you have 3 hours.

you need to study the problems, decide which to answer, make notes about what to include in your answers, decide how to structure your answers, and finally write them out. i’d usually allocate the last hour or so to the actual writing, but it was important to keep an eye on the clock.

what i’ve seen of the JLPT it is much more tightly structured, so there’d be less need to keep track of time.

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The time limit is very aggressive, though. You’ve got to keep half-an-eye on and check-pointing how much time you’re spending vs. how far you’ve gotten and how far you have left to go. If you’re going too slowly, then maybe picking up the pace some and at least getting a fair look at all the questions in the time remaining will get you more points than poking through but leaving a lot unseen at the end when time is called.

Plus you need a few minutes for the last-second “put SOME answer for everything” scramble.

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I guess we all have our own strategy, but I think more than a clock on exam day, you need it for training. So you can become quick. If you train well enough, you won´t need a clock on the exam day because you will be able to feel if you are on time or not.

For exam training, I should have known that since I took TOEIC exam a few years ago. I train to do this exam and be quick to answer even though my English was good (I was doing a master thesis full in English with presentation so my English skills increased a lot). JLPT N3 reminded me how much it is different to learn a language and to work toward an exam. Of course, mastering the language is a huge help. I mean if my level was around N2, obviously it would be easy for me to take N3. But if you are around N3, you need some prep for the exam (if you take it, of course).

Mh, I don´t know about that ? I guess it depends on each person.
For Engineering School entrance exam (French specificity), I just rushed into the exam and didn´t have time to look at the clock. If I knew how to get to the answer I would do it, otherwise I would skip. But I guess this exam was quite special since they are usually designed so you can´t finish them. Yeah, I had subject about 4 hours (sometimes even 5/6 hours) and we couldn´t finish all of it most of the time. So yeah, you have to rush knowing you won´t make it in time anyway hahaha

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Will work on integrating suggestions probably tomorrow or Tuesday

Suggestions implemented :slight_smile:

Sorry for the delay lol

Ah, some people are taking this today, aren’t they?

Seems like it. (Not me, but good luck to everybody who is!)

My obvious-but-maybe-helpful tip for the JLPT: if you’re skipping about in the test (doing the reading section first) or you passed on a question or two you weren’t sure on, cross-check occasionally the question number against which line on the answer sheet you’re filling in, to avoid the risk of filling in the right answers but shifted up or down one from the bubbles they ought to be…

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