Nice. Bunpro is good even without paying for it. Solid reference tool. JPDB too, as someone who spends like 3+ hours a day on it I can attest to its effectiveness. Good luck this december
2 Likes
read read read. it all comes with practice. I’ve done some jlpt n3 practice tests, the reading section gets quite exhausting after a while because there are so many texts after another. I think the only thing that can prepare you for that at this point is just immersing yourself in many different reading materials (from manga to novels to news, just a variety of everything). And probably doing mock tests
2 Likes
At any level: practice a lot with texts and questions in the format that the test uses, so you get used to the kind of question they ask. When you get one wrong, work through it to figure out why you were wrong and why the correct answer is the only right option. The questions often do try to throw you off, because they’re trying to check that you read and understood the text, rather than understanding some words within it and making a plausible guess.
At N2 and N1 in particular: reading speed matters, and reading a lot in any format will help (though including newspaper opinion columns and similar non-fiction in your reading diet is probably a good idea). You also need to become comfortable with reading quickly to get a general understanding even if perhaps you don’t 100% know every word.
4 Likes
I am preparing for the N1 this december, I already tried it last year and came close to passing, let’s see how it goes this time. I did the worst in reading, mostly because I wasn’t fast and had to guess all of the questions at the end.
My goals:
Grammar: finishing the trilogy of japanese grammar dictionaries by Seiichi Makino and Michio Tsutsui (currently only have the advanced one remaining)
Reading: Going to read some VNs, I have a bunch of Steins Gate ones, and I want to read a book on japanese history as well, perhaps even something from classical literature if there is enough time. I am also setting every game and media I can to japanese lol.
Listening: So far I have been watching anime without subs, but I should also try a wider variety, though listening was the section I was better at last time so I’m not too worried.
Vocabulary: besides reading and listening with a dictionary next to me, I’m mostly just doing a third run of wanikani.
7 Likes
I need some advice.
up until now I never really studied with books for the jlpt. it was mostly just trial and error…
but the upper levels are kind of tricky especially since they introduce grammar for expressing something that could have been done with a much easier grammar construct… but whatever.
So i got some books, but most of japanese textbooks are kind of here is the expression, that is kind of what it means and here is an example sentence and that is it. it seems to be aimed at memorization only… does anyone have any tips on how to study effectively with books like that?
I really have problems with learning stuff from a list… it was the same during school with english vocab lists, i only started getting better in english when I was learning words and such through media, but in the upper japanese levels it seems unlikely to encounter much of that in japanese media besides some serious news articles and such…
1 Like
I just took the N4 in July so no N3 until at least December 2023, but I just have a quick suggestion for anyone having issues with listening or grammar. Japanese Pod 101 is a life saver and also the Tofugu website to go deeper into grammar points. It really helped me on the last exam. Listening felt sooo easy whereas on my first practice test I felt like I was going to definitely fail.
5 Likes
Many of those grammar points are for written language only, that’s why you don’t encounter them often in Manga / Anime or on Twitter etc. But especially N3 grammar but also N2 grammar are a staple in most of the books I read.
2 Likes
This makes so much more sense. I have been struggling to understand why I am learning another, often more convoluted way, to say something I learnt how to say easier before. The departure from N4 into N3 territory is tough… 
Feel like I have to destroy my brain to understand why it is the way it is and how it makes sense. Lol.
Since I am only taking the N4, I am focusing on understanding simple written and spoken sentences that use the types of grammar and vocabulary that are likely to appear on the exam, and being able to extract information from them that is likely to appear in questions. For that am I doing textbook study and using a number of online websites and apps, Anki, select YouTube channels, JLPT specific study resources, and immersion with SoL anime and graded readers (to the extent that one can try to immerse with graded readers).
Chris Tucker said it best:
If you truly understand the questions, you’ll likely understand the correct answer.
4 Likes
Okay so this has been on my mind for a bit and I figured this would probably be a good place to ask about it.
Is there any kind of confirmation message or something that would confirm we can go take the test? I as usual procrastinated and send my application around a week before the deadline. It did make it to it’s destination around 2 days before the deadline, but I’m still somewhat worried that maybe they didn’t process it in time or something. So at some point, do we get like a notice that informs we can go?
I didn’t find info on Google and I’m worried about the possibility of having payed 50€ and traveling 200km just for them to be like “yeah no we don’t see your name on the list of people who’ll be taking the test”
2 Likes
So you’re only allowed to take the test when you have a test voucher. How they send it to you is pretty much their business (some test locations use email if you applied online, but others will send you the physical test voucher that was part of your paper application).
I would usually expect to receive it about 4-6 weeks before the test - if I recall correctly.
4 Likes
Meanwhile I’ve received my Düsseldorf test voucher! Now things are getting serious 
The schedule for N2 will be:
8:10 Doors open
8:30 Test starts
12:00 Test finishes
I would be up for saying Hi in the morning and for grabbing some (ofc Japanese) lunch afterwards - what about you? (I’ll ping @RvNovae @Scylie @GrumpyPanda @downtimes @Myria as I know they will be coming, but if you’re also taking the test in Düsseldorf, please join in!)
- I’ll say Hi in the morning
- I’m up for lunch
- I would prefer to stay anonymous
0 voters
5 Likes
I’m taking my train there on the same morning (big regrets), so I’m not sure if I’ll be there early enough for a short meet and greet, but this time my train back doesn’t leave until 4, so I’ll be able to stay for lunch 
1 Like
Oh wow 
Fingers crossed your train doesn’t get delayed…
Great! I’ll also take a train around 4 pm, I think that’s a good timeframe for a nice lunch and some chatting 
2 Likes
It is mad to me that everyone in Dusseldorf will be finished by the time I even arrive at my exam centre. I didn’t realise some centres had their exams so early!
That’s the exceptional Plague Avoidance Mode™ the Düsseldorf test center is operating in. They run N2 in the morning and N1 in the afternoon (last year it was the inverse so it’s only fair I guess). Their normal pre-'rona mode would be to have everything (N5-N1) at the same time (usually 13:30 - 17:00 iirc).
3 Likes
I have received my voucher the other day as well!
Thanks for the ping, looking forward to finally meet some WK folk : D
Personally I’ll be in Düsseldorf all of Sunday, so lots of time to spare!
Also did another N2 mock test today and (while being a bit ギリギリ as always) managed to pass with ~58%.
That doesn’t make me an awful lot less nervous about the test being only a few weeks away but it does boost my confidence at least a little bit 
3 Likes
Sometimes I think that maybe I can’t push for N4 because I don’t know if I can dedicate that much time into studying for it. I do think need it for the career I’m pursuing but I have other obligations forcing me to consider giving up.
2 Likes
Do you know if the test voucher is just for us to show and then keep (since it’s a “copy”), or do they keep this one as well? It seems the photo paper I used to print my photos isn’t very good, the photo is slowly rubbing off, and I don’t know if I should print it again or if I can just leave it.
You can keep the test voucher afterwards. For the photo, I don’t think it matters that much - they will also ask you for your passport / ID card, and there are even test sites that don’t have a photo on the voucher in the first place, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
1 Like