I have all the emails on my same account, so I’m pretty confident they’re on the same account. EDIT: Maybe you just meant a new J-CAT account. I guess it’s confusing, thought you were saying you thought I must have used different emails.
The “computer adaptive” part may include giving people a new version the second or third time they try (I’ll experiment later), but it mostly refers to how the questions go up and down in difficulty based on how you answer them. Get a question right, next one is harder. Wrong? Next is easier. That’s what I mean by branches.
The tailoring of the level takes place mid-exam.
I’ve taken JLPT and J-Test as well. Those are standard paper tests (though J-Test has some writing).
Yeah I was referring to JCAT account when I said “account” not the email you used to sign up.
I’ll give an example to illustrate my point:
Ideal JCAT usage:
1st Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge level = none
Final Score = 100pts
2nd Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge level = 100pts
Final Score = 80pts
3rd Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge level = 80pts
Final Score = 120pts
What I assume what has been happening to you:
1st Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge = none
Final Score = 195pts makes a fresh account
2nd Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge = none
Final Score = 198pts makes a fresh account
3rd Attempt:
Assumed Japanese knowledge = none
Final Score = DNF
Basically, since there are only a finite number of questions within the JCAT, by using a new account with each attempt, JCAT is forced to assume that you know nothing at the beginning of each test and thus has to ‘waste’ questions to properly calibrate and determine what your score is since it has to check if you belong to the current proficiency level. Which can explain why you keep getting the same questions.
Here’s another example of what I mean:
Say the JCAT has only 1 section and asks only 10 questions and each correct answer is worth 6pts making the max score 60pts.
If the proficient levels are broken up as:
Basic: 1 - 20
Intermediate: 21 - 40
Advanced: 41 - 60
JCAT has to assume that your initial total score is 0 (i.e. no knowledge) so it has to commit a sufficient amount of questions to check if you belong to Basic, more questions to check if you belong to Intermediate or Advanced if you get enough right.
Say you got a total score of 24pts on your first try, then 6 months later when you take the JCAT again the test can then use your previous results as the “base” and immediately start asking questions from the Intermediate level without having to check if you belong in Basic. Say on the second attempt you score 42pts, then when you take the test again 6 months later for your 3rd attempt, JCAT would only need to ask you questions from the Advanced tier as you have shown you are at least Intermediate.
By constantly using a new account, this can’t be achieved which is what I think is happening with you and why you keep getting the same questions.
Have you actually taken the J-CAT more than once? Just curious if you’re speaking from experience or not.
Your proposal is different from the described computerized adaptive nature of the test. It absolutely adapts question by question, whether you’ve taken it before or not.
Not the JCAT as I said, my first attempt was only 1 month ago, but I’ve taken a CAT for a class in university.
Of course it’s different, the wikipedia entry you wrote states that the purpose is to classify an examinee’s abilities into pre determined categories.
If you read the pamphlet that I linked in my earlier replies it states that the JCAT’s aims to not only determine a person’s japanese level but to also measure their improvement over time
I guess I just don’t see where it says that the actual question pool changes, as opposed to it simply adapting question to question. Obviously it’s possible to do better than I did last time, so even in the same question pool it’s not like they can’t measure my progress over time. I just am not super motivated to try to improve on the same question pool, but I’ll give it another shot and try again in 6 months to see.
After taking J-Cat last week I decided to take N4 I started Japanese in December, although I already knew some kana (learned for fun long time ago) and had learned a bit of Chinese as a foreign language (helped with kanji). I was hesitating for the longest time between N5 and N4, but after getting 174 early in March, I think I’ll have enough time to get a solid N4 by July!
I was going to say I’d never heard of this test before and then when I went to bookmark it… it was already bookmarked. Welp.
But, um… thanks for bringing it to my attention again! I think I need to do a metric ton of listening practice first, unless they just threw a really advanced question at me in the sample test. My eyes rolled back in my head.
Oh yay! Thanks!
I was thinking of doing the same in a week or two (when I was planning on signing up).
I need to do this again at some point in March. : D (My scores from last year.)
I don’t think I have enough structure. I do wanikani every day and other learning here or there. I hope to take JLPT N3 in December ideally. But this has significantly put me off I have a wanikani and Japanesepod subscription and Shin Kanzen Master book.
Yeah, it’s definitely recommended to do some kind of listening regularly. I recommend the podcasts Bilingual News (awesome hosts, one of my favourite pods), and Sokoani, if you’re looking for something new (I never got into Japanese Pod). However even listening carefully when watching anime or dramas can help a lot; even though many say it shouldn’t be used for listening it’s still much better than nothing. There are also a lot of listening oriented Anki decks, if that’s your thing.
Opinion here: that test was reaaaally tiring. I think it’s because when you get questions right, it gets harder and harder, until you get it wrong, then it gets easier again. But I really felt like it would test you to the limits of your abilities, which is good but exhausting.
So yep. Prepare some quiet time when you’re alert enough to do the test
I think I should do a series of tests in the textbook (‘graded’ tests) with a wide-enough interval in-between. (I cannot rush.) The test is indeed tiring, but might help spark my studies.
I started Japanese in December, although I already knew some kana (learned for fun long time ago) and had learned a bit of Chinese as a foreign language (helped with kanji). I was hesitating for the longest time between N5 and N4, but after getting 174 early in March, I think I’ll have enough time to get a solid N4 by July!
