You haven’t done N5 or 4? If N3 is different I don’t know, but in the N5:
It’s not so much there’s a section time limit, as the recordings are played when they’re played. Question, Dialog, Question again, short pause for you to mark your answer, next question. It was short enough between questions that I answered one wrong, immediately recognized it, and by the time I erased and marked correctly I was already starting to miss the next question. (yes, only played once)
1 Like
It is the same at N3 level
3 Likes
But there are five files, Q1 through Q5. Do you mean that I have the amount of “no sound” time at the end of each file to answer, and when the audio clip is done (including “no sound” time) I’m out of time for that question?
Nope, jumping right into N3. I felt like the N5 and N4 would have been a waste of time (for me personally). Even N3 feels like a waste of time, except that jumping right to N2 next year seemed unwise.
That sounds like a nightmare! 
My brain does not work that way! I need time to think things through.
2 Likes
That’s part of the point, I think. They want to test your conversational-speed comprehension, not your “sit down and work it out” ability. 
2 Likes
Oh yeah. Those are five question sections. So those actually contain multiple questions each. I forgot how that was done exactly. So all the questions on the individual files do have the built in pauses. I would just start playing the next section right after one finishes.
3 Likes
You are allowed to take notes, but make sure it doesn’t get in the way of listening carefully. You might miss something of note while writing something else down
1 Like
Ah. This video is pretty much what the N5 sections were like, start to finish.
(Feels so easy now, it seemed much harder under test conditions.)
3 Likes
These things aren’t really “conversational speed comprehension” though. It’s “pick out obscure details” and “intentionally mislead by including similar, but unrelated information”. That’s not how a real conversation works. Even in English I have trouble focusing on minor details in conversations.
I tried doing that a bit when I took the J-CAT last week and it didn’t go well. As you said, my note taking distracted me from listening to the rest of the dialogue.
4 Likes
Yeah, that’s been mentioned before in this thread. The people in these conversations speak like they’re trying to hide things from anyone wiretapping them.
The only section I like, which I’m not sure is on N3 or not… is where one person says something, and there are 3 possible responses to it. Those tend to actually be like real conversations.
14 Likes
I assume that’s the “quick response” section, which seems to be on all levels of the test.
3 Likes
How’s everybody feeling now that we’re just over a month out from the test (at least for the Japan dates)? I’m not registered for December, but only now am I really getting my motivation back since the last test to hit the grind again in preparation for July 2020.
Stick with your gut and what you know, and keep up the hard work, and you’ll crush it! Best of luck and here’s to hoping you crush it! We’ll all be waiting for you at the finish line 
11 Likes
I am definitely not ready, but taking the tests was only for an additional motivating push for me. It’ll kind of suck if I fail sure, but I’ve improved so much this year, I honestly can’t complain xD
3 Likes
Same as @conan not ready but I’m improving little by little. I’m nervous and I hope I pass
2 Likes
Better than being confident and hoping you fail. 
4 Likes
Why the frickity frick frack tic tac did my dumb dumb bubblegum ass decide to apply for N3 ._. I’m at school for half the day and when I’m home I have to do homework or study for whatever test is coming up so I just have to sprint to the public library during my lunch (now) and study Japanese. My listening somehow isn’t as bad as I thought … but if I finish all the N3 grammar points on Bunpro will that be enough??? hooo boyyyyyyyy
dontpanicdontpanicdontpanic- panics
5 Likes
I’ve done less than half of the N3 grammar points on Bunpro and not done any other dedicated N3 study (I’m using Tobira, but only done the same stuff I covered on Bunpro) and I got a 22/23 on the practice test. So clearly what I’ve studied formally isn’t a good indicator. I think as much as formally studying, it’s important to have practical experience reading. (Whether or not that’s reassuring depends on how much reading you’ve done I guess.)
3 Likes
Oh that’s awesome :000 I read easy news a lot on my phone and all the readers from White Rabbit Press so I feel slightly reassured. (This site tells me level 4 of those readers are around N3 level)
2 Likes
I’d definitely recommend taking the practice test that @Saida had posted.
2 Likes
My better half told me I will probably fail 
…Perhaps a mind-trick to take the pressure off and study harder…likely just pure honesty though!
I want to grind the vocab/kanji w/ Kitsun so time becomes less of an issue and do more drills in the last month. Always thought JLPT never really tests the spectrum of grammar I studied. Been doing the question exercises with a tutor and doing well thus far (they gave me useful strategies). Never thought listening was something I could really directly prepare for through the workbooks (other than get used to question style and test strategies). So really just listening to anything everyday plus having a couple conversations a week.
Hope everyone in the WK tribe does well . I don’t have any expectations at all, at least it’s a learning experience to build from.
6 Likes
Yep! I’ve never really taken a big exam before so I’m learning how to study efficiently, time manage and not die of panic :v
11 Likes