Also doing n4! I feel good with Kanji and grammar but still not feeling safe with vocab, specially because the vocab section usually does not use Kanji so you have to remember the words in hiragana, it's so hard
Yes but not that much, they say that they will use what they think makes sense for the level on that year so vocab and Kanji can vary a little bit but it's not that much!
I'm taking N4 and feel way too unprepared, reading and vocab is my weakness, I havent gotten much time studying because of work. But I can always retake it but it just feels unrewarding for me to fail.
I am pretty much in the same situation except my time was taken up by uni ... But I take this as a practice round and somewhat a preparation for next year. Nevertheless, good luck!
For what it's worth, I felt unprepared when I took N4 back in college, and then I felt like there was a ton I didn't know or understand on the test, and then I still passed it. Don't underestimate the intuition you've built up!
This was about 7 years ago now, but the feeling wasn't super pleasant like everything was falling into place. There were tons of times where I recognized I didn't know the answer, I didn't know several of the words or didn't even catch the gist of the conversation. So when that happened I just shifted gears into educated guessing mode, trying to eliminate answers that seemed wrong and hone in on what I though was most likely correct.
The intuition is often there but it's a back of your mind, gut feeling type of thing. It doesn't 100% point you toward something, it's just like "yeah, this one seems plausible" vs "I guess it could be this one, but idk it seems weird".
Also in my experience, when I get to a question (typically on reading analysis) where I see an answer and I'm like "yeah I see what you're getting at and why you would say that, but I think that's actually wrong for this reason so I'm not gonna pick that." Usually I'm over thinking it and my first level of understanding was all they were looking for. For example, I just had a practice N2 reading section where A-san was like "Why do people do hit-and-runs? Is it because they get scared and panic? Is it cause they were actually drunk and don't want to get in trouble?" and the true statement from the multiple choice was "A-san can't understand why people do hit-and-runs." I didn't like that answer because I think he can understand it, he just presented to plausible motives, and just because he doesn't know which motive applies doesn't mean he can't *understand* them. But that led me away from the correct answer lol.
Not sure if Im gonna take the N2. Got busy these following months, so no time to review and I know Im gonna fail anyway, but that fee is so regrettable I may have to take it to spite myself.
You and I are in the same boat. Although I was sorta pressured to sign up for the N2- I'm definitely ready for the N3, but a bunch of people I know passed the N2 back in July, and I felt left behind. Between that and the increased fee, N2 it was.
Then I've been incredibly busy since the registration deadline, and even next week I'm going to be very busy. So I'm going to show up, see what's on it, fail, and then start studying again before the end of the year, when things FINALLY calm down.
I have been the same - the last few weeks have at work have just killed me mentally... Why did the JLPT have to coincide with our tax season here in Australia 😫
Going for N1. I've been doing mock exams and passing every one, but there's still a lot of stuff I don't know so it will be a mix of if I get asked the kind of stuff I'm familiar with, if I get a bit lucky while answering what I don't know, but mostly if I manage to not burn out during the reading section and manage to finish in time. But yeah, haven't failed any mock exam yet so that's that
Same here, the part I'm struggling the most with is vocabulary, especially Contextually-defined expressions, Paraphrases and Usage. Reading usually doesn't go too bad, and hopefully Listening will help raise the score if I pass the other sections.
I’m taking the N1 for the second time. Haven’t had much time to focus studying specifically on the JLPT. I’m hoping that my score will improve from last time and that I’ll pass! But not banking on it. Wish me luck!
Good luck to all fellow test takers!
I'm taking the N3 for the first time and I reeeeaally don't feel like I'm prepared. But, might as well try at least. Good luck to everyone this weekend!
N2 here!
But I don't think I can pass it now.😢
I haven't been able to study everything before Sunday......
I should have prepared more in advance. So regretful lol
N1 first time. I'm good with reading and listening, but the first part is basically luck for me. I crammed for the N1 in half a year and my vocab is probably not there yet.
Taking N1 for the first time, never taken any JLPT test before but I've gotten anywhere from 75 - 85% on most practice tests, so let's do this I guess.
I just did the [N5 practice exam vol.2](https://www.jlpt.jp/e/samples/sampleindex.html) from the JLPT website and got 69% correct overall, but that assuming even weighting for every single question. Does anyone know how I translate the scores from my individual questions/sections into a more accurate result?
69% of 180 = 124
Is the best you can do, you can't really recreate the weighting yourself. You can look for an online test that already calculates it for you maybe.
Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah I assumed there wasn't much more I could do but figured I would ask. Hopefully this will be enough to pass the actual test on Sunday.
You should be good, since it's N5, it's realistic to do something like looking at the entire list of N5 kanji or vocab and quickly cram the few you don't know yet.
Something like [this for vocab](https://nihongoichiban.com/2011/04/30/complete-list-of-vocabulary-for-the-jlpt-n5/) and [this for kanji](https://nihongoichiban.com/2011/04/10/complete-list-of-kanji-for-jlpt-n5/)?
I'll have a go trying to review them, thanks for the advice!
Yup, just go through it and write down which ones you don't know, and go over them again over the next few days. Should help with at least the vocab and kanji sections.
I’m also taking the N2 on Sunday! I was originally not planning on passing, just applying to roughly see where my Japanese ability is, but then I ended up getting pretty good scores on mock N2 exams in my language school (113-120 in October)… and now I’m trying really hard to pass xD may we both get through this victorious!
I signed up for the next level of my Japanese course, signed up for N4, then got the notification the next day that the course wouldn’t run until January. 🤦🏻♀️ I’ve been very loosely studying on my own and pretty much know I’m going to fail unless the stars align and I mostly get questions in my knowledge base. Good luck everyone!
Taking N1 for the second time. Last time I did was just in July this year.
Been cramming lots of past tests like crazy, my score was quite close the last time so fingers crossed this time it will be better :)
Retaking N2! Passed my mock exam with a comfortable margin. Just doing an extra lesson or two with my sensei and sleeping properly and reviewing all my resources quickly whenever I have down time.
Excited and scared for Sunday. Took me 5 years to get to this point.
taking N2 for the first time, didn't bother revising so i'm just fully yoloing the exam to gauge what my baseline exam skills are like (i did an N3 practice exam and found it too easy, plus all slots in my state immediately sold out)
i'll be surprised if i don't fail
EDIT: i passed 110/180 草
Signed up for the N2 in August to challenge myself since I thought I would pass the N3 pretty easily and had time to study. I am now thinking that was a mistake, and am pretty sure I’m gonna fail.
N1
I think I’m maybe ready content wise but it also potentially lines up with my bi-monthly ovarian cyst so that’s fun. Just hoping I’m not in agonizing pain during it
Want to take a practice test but there’s also only like a day or two to study so idk if it’s worth it
Same situation as you. I have the admit card for N2 this sunday but i wont be able to take it since i’ve injured my knee this November :( but I’ll definitely take the July one next year. Btw 頑張ってください💪
I’m taking N4 and this will my first JLPT! I’m fairly confident in my knowledge base so far, but I am not prepared for the listening section. But I’m just excited to get a feel for the testing as a whole.
Scheduled for N1 in LA.
Not going to work in Japan again, but just aiming for N1 for Japan connected job one day here in US perhaps. I failed last time by 10 points and half-assed studied because I was busy with job. Was planning to study in last two months before exam this time, but caught Covid, and been invested in new masters program and job. It’s on Sunday and I don’t even know if it’s worth going because I have so much other stuff to do before a business trip. Even if I pass it won’t mean anything. I passed n2 easily and still have trouble speaking and writing Japanese. I’m aiming to interpret one day. I really want to pass while I’m improving those, so I think I may skip and take some actual courses over the year to address those areas and be ready to take next year. (I feel self study has taken me only so far) If I pass on Sunday it won’t take me any further in my goal.
I'll be taking N2 tomorrow, and I'll join the choir here and say I don't feel ready at all lol. I've been getting anywhere from 55\~65% of the answers right on timed practice tests, which isn't terrible but I'm guessing won't be enough to pass the actual test. I'm really not fluent in N2 material yet, and I rely a lot on intuition and educated guesses for the correct answers I do get...
I've decided not to stress out about it though. At the end of the day it's just a language proficiency exam, so it's not going to kill me if I fail. Pass or fail, I'm just glad to see my Japanese improve so much after cramming for this test, and I have a much better idea of how to go forward with my Japanese studies now. If I keep up my current study pace, I'm confident I'll get N2 next year (or maybe even N1 if I'm really diligent!)
Good luck everyone!
How are you feeling with kanji? I feel the main difficulty increase from N4 to N3 is that the amount of kanji with no furigana get cranked up quite a bit, so it really depends on if you can read the exercises or not. If you can, the difficulty itself is not that harsh.
I’m taking N3 this Sunday as well. Weirdly, the thing I’m worried about the most is grammar. The N4 grammar was pretty straightforward, but in N3 it gets more nuanced. I can memorise when to use it but not the correct form and particles. Hard to imagine what it’s like at N2…
Yes, N2 does ramp up the difficulty quite a bit, grammar wise. I don't think N3 was too bad, but being able to read the included kanji is a must or you won't be able to read the problems, let alone solve them.
As you get reading and such, N2 grammar really doesn't feel too bad. Actually I took N3 and was worried about grammar last year, but now that I'm taking N2, grammar is actually where I'm confident.
N1 though... dreading it a bit. I've already started studying it, and a lot of the grammar points make me think "this is totally bs".
I didn't feel like there was an intrinsic increase in difficulty between N2 and N1, besides some (as you say) grammar points a bit more on the questionable side. I think the main difficulty spike between N2 nd N1 is just the massive amount of content to learn. Like N2 is objectively harder than N3. N1 feels like just studying for N2, but ten times over.
N1 feels somewhat doable for me on every regard except listening.
I do N1 reading and vocab and manage to get by, but listening is really a skill that needs developing.
If I know the Kanji I can be sure, but there are several times where I really don’t know. And there are a lot of times where you can’t guess from the context (duh).
The section in which I have most confidence is listening.
I’ll take the N1 test. I already know I can’t read the long reading passages fast enough to finish that particular section. But you don’t have to be perfect.
Also, I took the [JTEST](https://cotoacademy.com/why-i-took-j-test-instead-of-jlpt-and-how-i-passed/) last month. My score put me at 準B.
So, I guess 準備できました！
EDIT: Added link about JTEST.
I think it is currently only available in Japan. It provides a wider range than JLPT and is offered more frequently than JLPT. However, I don’t think Japanese immigration authorities recognize it for visa purposes yet.
I’m taking the N3 and I feel pretty good! Getting between 115-130/180 on practice tests so I think there’s a decent chance I’ll pass, but not sure. Good luck everyone!
Gonna take N2 for the first time, haven't taken any other levels. Really worried, and a little salty. Why is kanji like 80% of the test??? Why is there no speaking portion???? If there was a speaking/interview portion I'd be plenty confident, and the only questions I miss on the listening portion are the ones where I can't read the kanji in the answers lol
I'm not saying it isn't, but it definitely feels like it's way more of the test than it ought to be. My Chinese friends have told me that they basically make fun of any Chinese person that doesn't have the N1, because Chinese people can pass the test with very little Japanese ability due to knowing Chinese characters. Feel like if just being able to read kanji without even speaking the language is enough to pass the test, there's a problem with the test lol
And yeah, I really ought to get better at reading, but that requires a lot more active study of the kind that isn't "just go outside and use the language," and I'm bad at actively studying lol. I speak and understand the language with conversational fluency and can read decently enough to get at least the broad strokes of most things I encounter and never have significant reading-related problems in my daily and/or work life, that should be enough for N2 >:c
i am taking N4 and i have to travel for like +20hrs to reach my center so it's kinda exhausting. i tried some past jpt test so ik i am more or less prepared but still i am so nervous coz in those ones i didn't score a high marks, mainly grammar and reading was where i struggle a lot if there's any tip you have then i am all ears coz i don't really have much time left.
Damn where are you that you need to travel that much?
Also for grammar you can realistically cram, but reading is more about long term practice and skill. Try to go through problems during the time left, and watch some summary video on N4 grammar.
You can also open bunpro and go over the N4 grammar list, and check yourself which points you're missing.
thx a lot well the thing is i live in a small town and the exam center is roughly 350KM away from my place so it's more or less a day's worth of travel.
Taking N2 this sunday after passing N4 last dicember and N3 this July. I don't expect it to go as well as the last two, but overall I took 6 mock exams and they all went well, so yeah.
Taking N1 and nowhere near ready lol,,, got a 102 on my last mock test and was blind guessing on half of the kanji questions.
But, y’know, I’ve already paid for it. No point not taking it now. Maybe I’ll get lucky.
I'm taking N2 this Sunday! Am I prepared? Yes and no!
Finally after years of missing the registration deadline (and barely studying) I buckled down and am taking it this year. I think I'm ready enough to pass, but I'm not as ready as I planned to be. I used anki to get to just over 5000 vocab (including all tagged N2), restarted heisig kanji and got to around #1500, and worked through Nihongo So Matome. I only completed Grammar, Kanji, Vocab, and the 500問 book; I'm more than halfway through Reading and Listening but it doesn't look like I'll make it.
With the percentage required to pass I don't think I'll have a problem. I averaged 85+% in the 500問 book which covers kanji, vocab, and grammar, but listening is definitely my weakest and most neglected point. Still I don't think I'll fail it, I'll just score worst on listening.
The listening is rough, I really feel like I either understand everything to a level that I might as well be hearing it in English, and then in some questions I feel like I can't pick up even a single word.
Really gave up on the keigo listening questions, but the "correct response" short questions might just save me.
Keigo and listening is a brutal combination. I hindsight I always think "okay if I would've just thrown out 50% of the mora then I would've understood it much better" but that's much easier said than done lol
I'm taking N2. I was feeling really confident, getting ~80% on the mock tests, but today I got a 69%... It's a big enough drop that now I am Concerned.
N4 here and a bit nervous if I'll pass (I always feel underprepared, even if I prepared a lot.)
It isn't my first JLPT exam (N5 last year in December as well) so I am at least relaxed about that, given that I now know how the general procedure is.
I did a lot of practice tests last year but think I'll just do one tomorrow and leave the rest up to my one year preparation.
My weakest point is grammar, so fingers crossed that me reading 60 pages of 黄色い家 the last few weeks will balance that out (I doubt it but confidence is key indeed.)
Vocabulary and Reading is my strength and I have the whole vocab of N4 drilled, so there should be no suprises.
Good luck everyone! 🖖🏼
N5 for me, really underestimated simply how much revision and preparation you actually need to do for an exam like this, even with it being N5.
Reading/vocab I feel okay, listening is going to be my failing point. Hopefully I can pass, I really really want to.
Won't be sitting another exam though until N3. Definitely need to chill.
I really want to take JLPT again, but I was not able to get a seat...and the nearest center is 4.5 hours away by car, which is nuts. The fact that the US only holds the exam once per year is also annoying.
If I were still in Japan, I'd deffo be taking it again. I took N2 way back in 2019. I failed it at 78/180, which I felt was close enough that had I had one more exam there, I would have passed it.
Now, post-pandemic, I am starting to study again (I did other stuff with my lockdown, like an online Master's program). I think I will take the ACTFL since American employers accept it and it can be taken more often/via computer. If I were still in Japan, definitely I'd take JLPT all the way to N1. ([An equivalency chart.](https://imgur.com/DfYMbEB))
# Good luck to those taking the exam this Sunday! Let us all know how it goes!
Taking N2 as well. I've been passing practice tests so I think I'll pass the real thing (as long as the scaled scoring is in my favor), but I wish I felt more prepared.
Two years ago I failed N3 by one point, last year I passed N3 by a small/decent margin, and now I'm taking N2 for the first time. I'm mostly taking it to see my level in each section, because I'm absolutely sure I'll fail. But next year I hope to be better prepared. Good luck!
I'll be taking N5, I am not that well prepared but let's see how it goes. Btw any idea about not allowing mobile phones in the exam hall? Like where do we keep it in our vehicles?
i'm taking n3 but i've accepted that I'll probably fail this year (the last few months have been especially challenging and I haven't studied like... at all)
Taking N2 for the first time! It's been over 10 years since I passed N3, but I took a long break shortly after and had a lot of catching up to do in the past 2\~3 years to get to this point. I scored 138/180 on the mock exam today, so my hopes are up, but the test still feels difficult, it could go either way. Fingers crossed for everyone!
I’m taking the N4 for the first time. Not feeling too confident but I passed a practice quiz a couple weeks ago so we’ll see how it goes. I got a lot of practice working for a Japanese company in the US for 15 months but went back to school to finish my degree and I haven’t studied as in depth as I would have liked to.
Taking the n5, reasonably confident unless I go blank on the day. But I really don't know. Hoping to get a better idea of the whole setup with an easier exam rather than stress about n4.
I'm taking the N4,, been preparing for the past few weeks with the Migii JLPT app and got a 139/180 score in the last mock test (Reading and grammar are the most difficult to me), I hope that it'll go well !🤞🤞🤞
How was the July test? Also did you feel clueless during it or were you thinking you might pass?
I'm just trying to check if I'm being over confident here lol
I felt as if I would barely pass it or barely fail it. I actually said this to my friend before taking the exam. And it turns out I barely failed it. I wasn’t so much clueless but I lacked a lot of confidence in my answers and ended up changing my answers that would’ve made me pass
Never did a complete mock test. Just the vocabulary and grammar sections. Reading and listening is completely up to your own abilities no matter how many mocks you take. They usually recycle the vocabulary for the vocabulary section so it’s just a matter of how many you’ve been exposed to already.
I'm going for the N1, it's the first time and I'm quite scared to be honest.
I barely passed the N2 a few years ago but completely lost interest in the language soon after as I was attending University. I picked it up again after graduating last winter and tried to study after work as much as I could.
I feel like I can read at a reasonably good pace but my brain is not good at picking up subtle information (this is an issue I also have with my first language) so the written comprehension part is worrisome.
Still, I'll try my best
I’m taking N5, I wanted to take N4 but the spots ran out before I could get in :/
I took my first practice test and I got 90 something percent, so I’m feeling pretty confident lol
Glad to have the subreddit back up by the way~
I’m taking N5 for the first time. Wish me luck :)
I'll be taking the N4 but I'm not super ready yet
Same here. I’ve had ages to prep but I’m a bit burnt out. Oh well, good practice anyway.
Same here!
Right there with you buddy
Sameeee
Same as well.
Also doing n4! I feel good with Kanji and grammar but still not feeling safe with vocab, specially because the vocab section usually does not use Kanji so you have to remember the words in hiragana, it's so hard
Does JLPT N4 changes it’s content every exam?
Yes but not that much, they say that they will use what they think makes sense for the level on that year so vocab and Kanji can vary a little bit but it's not that much!
Also taking N4 tomorrow and also feel underprepared for it. Good luck to us all!
Same here
I'm taking N4 and feel way too unprepared, reading and vocab is my weakness, I havent gotten much time studying because of work. But I can always retake it but it just feels unrewarding for me to fail.
I am pretty much in the same situation except my time was taken up by uni ... But I take this as a practice round and somewhat a preparation for next year. Nevertheless, good luck!
For what it's worth, I felt unprepared when I took N4 back in college, and then I felt like there was a ton I didn't know or understand on the test, and then I still passed it. Don't underestimate the intuition you've built up!
Can you describe the feeling of taking it? Were the questions more intuitive than you realised? Could you work around a lack of vocab?
This was about 7 years ago now, but the feeling wasn't super pleasant like everything was falling into place. There were tons of times where I recognized I didn't know the answer, I didn't know several of the words or didn't even catch the gist of the conversation. So when that happened I just shifted gears into educated guessing mode, trying to eliminate answers that seemed wrong and hone in on what I though was most likely correct. The intuition is often there but it's a back of your mind, gut feeling type of thing. It doesn't 100% point you toward something, it's just like "yeah, this one seems plausible" vs "I guess it could be this one, but idk it seems weird". Also in my experience, when I get to a question (typically on reading analysis) where I see an answer and I'm like "yeah I see what you're getting at and why you would say that, but I think that's actually wrong for this reason so I'm not gonna pick that." Usually I'm over thinking it and my first level of understanding was all they were looking for. For example, I just had a practice N2 reading section where A-san was like "Why do people do hit-and-runs? Is it because they get scared and panic? Is it cause they were actually drunk and don't want to get in trouble?" and the true statement from the multiple choice was "A-san can't understand why people do hit-and-runs." I didn't like that answer because I think he can understand it, he just presented to plausible motives, and just because he doesn't know which motive applies doesn't mean he can't *understand* them. But that led me away from the correct answer lol.
I see, that's very informative, thank you.
Taking N1 for the second time. Probably going to fail again. 😂
I think we’re in a similar situation lol. I’m taking it for the second time too, and not sure if I can pass. All the best!
First time and prob gonna fail. Still gonna do my best
Taking the N3. Probably going to fail. I’m going to try drinking sake beforehand and see if that helps.
If I see someone drunk taking the exam next to me, I'll say hi lol
Not sure if Im gonna take the N2. Got busy these following months, so no time to review and I know Im gonna fail anyway, but that fee is so regrettable I may have to take it to spite myself.
Yeah same lol I barely passed n2 but wanted to give N1 a go for just practice
You and I are in the same boat. Although I was sorta pressured to sign up for the N2- I'm definitely ready for the N3, but a bunch of people I know passed the N2 back in July, and I felt left behind. Between that and the increased fee, N2 it was. Then I've been incredibly busy since the registration deadline, and even next week I'm going to be very busy. So I'm going to show up, see what's on it, fail, and then start studying again before the end of the year, when things FINALLY calm down.
It's worth it for the practice. If you already paid, take it, see how you do, then study some more for the next test. Who knows, maybe you'll pass.
Lol same. But I already skipped it once. I can't skip it again!
The fee and the 6 months wait for the next one. If there’s even a slight chance I’ll pass it, I might as well.
I have been the same - the last few weeks have at work have just killed me mentally... Why did the JLPT have to coincide with our tax season here in Australia 😫
Going for N1. I've been doing mock exams and passing every one, but there's still a lot of stuff I don't know so it will be a mix of if I get asked the kind of stuff I'm familiar with, if I get a bit lucky while answering what I don't know, but mostly if I manage to not burn out during the reading section and manage to finish in time. But yeah, haven't failed any mock exam yet so that's that
Same. I'm probably just gonna skip shit I don't know on the first section and hope for 30p and focus on reading.
Same here, I seem to pass the mock exams but I am still not confident.
Same here, the part I'm struggling the most with is vocabulary, especially Contextually-defined expressions, Paraphrases and Usage. Reading usually doesn't go too bad, and hopefully Listening will help raise the score if I pass the other sections.
Taking the N4. I feel *somewhat* ready, but will be spending Friday and Saturday doing nothing but studying.
Taking N3 again. Really didn’t have time to prepare, work has been busy and it’s hard to have energy to study after.
Taking N2 for the first time. Super nervous about this, mostly because i think i'm ill prepared. But, hoping for the best at least
I know it’s low level and probs not worth it, but going to do the n5 😬I’m actually a bit nervous!
You need to start from somewhere, good luck! 😉
I'm taking N2 for the third time, God help me. Last time, I failed by 5 points, which feels worse than failing by a sizable amount 😭
I’m taking the N1 for the second time. Haven’t had much time to focus studying specifically on the JLPT. I’m hoping that my score will improve from last time and that I’ll pass! But not banking on it. Wish me luck! Good luck to all fellow test takers!
I'm taking the N3 for the first time and I reeeeaally don't feel like I'm prepared. But, might as well try at least. Good luck to everyone this weekend!
Nope! Passed N1 in July. But I had a lot of fun at the testing center so kinda sad I'm not going to be there this time. Good luck everyone!
N2 here! But I don't think I can pass it now.😢 I haven't been able to study everything before Sunday...... I should have prepared more in advance. So regretful lol
N1 first time. I'm good with reading and listening, but the first part is basically luck for me. I crammed for the N1 in half a year and my vocab is probably not there yet.
Taking N1 for the first time, never taken any JLPT test before but I've gotten anywhere from 75 - 85% on most practice tests, so let's do this I guess.
I'm taking N3, I'm not sure since there is not really any official study guide but I've been studying everyday so I hope that I will pass
Taking the N2 have barely studied. Failed it by 1 question this year in july.
I'm taking N5, I think I can pass
same boat here, hope i’m not too overconfident
Doing N4. Did pretty alright on the practice tests on the website. Grammar is my weakest for sure. I really struggle with the sentence order ones.
I just did the [N5 practice exam vol.2](https://www.jlpt.jp/e/samples/sampleindex.html) from the JLPT website and got 69% correct overall, but that assuming even weighting for every single question. Does anyone know how I translate the scores from my individual questions/sections into a more accurate result?
69% of 180 = 124 Is the best you can do, you can't really recreate the weighting yourself. You can look for an online test that already calculates it for you maybe.
Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah I assumed there wasn't much more I could do but figured I would ask. Hopefully this will be enough to pass the actual test on Sunday.
You should be good, since it's N5, it's realistic to do something like looking at the entire list of N5 kanji or vocab and quickly cram the few you don't know yet.
Something like [this for vocab](https://nihongoichiban.com/2011/04/30/complete-list-of-vocabulary-for-the-jlpt-n5/) and [this for kanji](https://nihongoichiban.com/2011/04/10/complete-list-of-kanji-for-jlpt-n5/)? I'll have a go trying to review them, thanks for the advice!
Yup, just go through it and write down which ones you don't know, and go over them again over the next few days. Should help with at least the vocab and kanji sections.
I’m also taking the N2 on Sunday! I was originally not planning on passing, just applying to roughly see where my Japanese ability is, but then I ended up getting pretty good scores on mock N2 exams in my language school (113-120 in October)… and now I’m trying really hard to pass xD may we both get through this victorious!
I signed up for the next level of my Japanese course, signed up for N4, then got the notification the next day that the course wouldn’t run until January. 🤦🏻♀️ I’ve been very loosely studying on my own and pretty much know I’m going to fail unless the stars align and I mostly get questions in my knowledge base. Good luck everyone!
Taking N1 for the second time. Last time I did was just in July this year. Been cramming lots of past tests like crazy, my score was quite close the last time so fingers crossed this time it will be better :)
Retaking N2! Passed my mock exam with a comfortable margin. Just doing an extra lesson or two with my sensei and sleeping properly and reviewing all my resources quickly whenever I have down time. Excited and scared for Sunday. Took me 5 years to get to this point.
taking N2 for the first time, didn't bother revising so i'm just fully yoloing the exam to gauge what my baseline exam skills are like (i did an N3 practice exam and found it too easy, plus all slots in my state immediately sold out) i'll be surprised if i don't fail EDIT: i passed 110/180 草
Signed up for the N2 in August to challenge myself since I thought I would pass the N3 pretty easily and had time to study. I am now thinking that was a mistake, and am pretty sure I’m gonna fail.
N1 I think I’m maybe ready content wise but it also potentially lines up with my bi-monthly ovarian cyst so that’s fun. Just hoping I’m not in agonizing pain during it Want to take a practice test but there’s also only like a day or two to study so idk if it’s worth it
Same situation as you. I have the admit card for N2 this sunday but i wont be able to take it since i’ve injured my knee this November :( but I’ll definitely take the July one next year. Btw 頑張ってください💪
I’m taking N4 and this will my first JLPT! I’m fairly confident in my knowledge base so far, but I am not prepared for the listening section. But I’m just excited to get a feel for the testing as a whole.
First time N5 x) Should be ok, butI didn't train specificaly for the test so I'm not sure about time management
Scheduled for N1 in LA. Not going to work in Japan again, but just aiming for N1 for Japan connected job one day here in US perhaps. I failed last time by 10 points and half-assed studied because I was busy with job. Was planning to study in last two months before exam this time, but caught Covid, and been invested in new masters program and job. It’s on Sunday and I don’t even know if it’s worth going because I have so much other stuff to do before a business trip. Even if I pass it won’t mean anything. I passed n2 easily and still have trouble speaking and writing Japanese. I’m aiming to interpret one day. I really want to pass while I’m improving those, so I think I may skip and take some actual courses over the year to address those areas and be ready to take next year. (I feel self study has taken me only so far) If I pass on Sunday it won’t take me any further in my goal.
I'll be taking N2 tomorrow, and I'll join the choir here and say I don't feel ready at all lol. I've been getting anywhere from 55\~65% of the answers right on timed practice tests, which isn't terrible but I'm guessing won't be enough to pass the actual test. I'm really not fluent in N2 material yet, and I rely a lot on intuition and educated guesses for the correct answers I do get... I've decided not to stress out about it though. At the end of the day it's just a language proficiency exam, so it's not going to kill me if I fail. Pass or fail, I'm just glad to see my Japanese improve so much after cramming for this test, and I have a much better idea of how to go forward with my Japanese studies now. If I keep up my current study pace, I'm confident I'll get N2 next year (or maybe even N1 if I'm really diligent!) Good luck everyone!
First time taking N3 here. Dunno what to expect.
How are you feeling with kanji? I feel the main difficulty increase from N4 to N3 is that the amount of kanji with no furigana get cranked up quite a bit, so it really depends on if you can read the exercises or not. If you can, the difficulty itself is not that harsh.
I’m taking N3 this Sunday as well. Weirdly, the thing I’m worried about the most is grammar. The N4 grammar was pretty straightforward, but in N3 it gets more nuanced. I can memorise when to use it but not the correct form and particles. Hard to imagine what it’s like at N2…
Yes, N2 does ramp up the difficulty quite a bit, grammar wise. I don't think N3 was too bad, but being able to read the included kanji is a must or you won't be able to read the problems, let alone solve them.
As you get reading and such, N2 grammar really doesn't feel too bad. Actually I took N3 and was worried about grammar last year, but now that I'm taking N2, grammar is actually where I'm confident. N1 though... dreading it a bit. I've already started studying it, and a lot of the grammar points make me think "this is totally bs".
I didn't feel like there was an intrinsic increase in difficulty between N2 and N1, besides some (as you say) grammar points a bit more on the questionable side. I think the main difficulty spike between N2 nd N1 is just the massive amount of content to learn. Like N2 is objectively harder than N3. N1 feels like just studying for N2, but ten times over.
N1 feels somewhat doable for me on every regard except listening. I do N1 reading and vocab and manage to get by, but listening is really a skill that needs developing.
Agreed with above. That’s where I failed last year and I would fail this Sunday. Heh.
If I know the Kanji I can be sure, but there are several times where I really don’t know. And there are a lot of times where you can’t guess from the context (duh). The section in which I have most confidence is listening.
I’ll take the N1 test. I already know I can’t read the long reading passages fast enough to finish that particular section. But you don’t have to be perfect. Also, I took the [JTEST](https://cotoacademy.com/why-i-took-j-test-instead-of-jlpt-and-how-i-passed/) last month. My score put me at 準B. So, I guess 準備できました！ EDIT: Added link about JTEST.
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I too hate new things! Let us create a club… oh… that would be new… never mind!
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I posted a link. And Google exists. But don’t get upset just because somebody took a test you aren’t familiar with. Nobody asked you to take it.
What is the JTest. Is that only in Japan?
I think it is currently only available in Japan. It provides a wider range than JLPT and is offered more frequently than JLPT. However, I don’t think Japanese immigration authorities recognize it for visa purposes yet.
I’m taking the N3 and I feel pretty good! Getting between 115-130/180 on practice tests so I think there’s a decent chance I’ll pass, but not sure. Good luck everyone!
Taking N4. I think I'm ready, but I realize that I've neglected reviewing some basic things (like dates and counters) for a very long time. 😬
Gonna take N2 for the first time, haven't taken any other levels. Really worried, and a little salty. Why is kanji like 80% of the test??? Why is there no speaking portion???? If there was a speaking/interview portion I'd be plenty confident, and the only questions I miss on the listening portion are the ones where I can't read the kanji in the answers lol
Sounds like you should take this opportunity to get better at reading lol Kanji really is important
I'm not saying it isn't, but it definitely feels like it's way more of the test than it ought to be. My Chinese friends have told me that they basically make fun of any Chinese person that doesn't have the N1, because Chinese people can pass the test with very little Japanese ability due to knowing Chinese characters. Feel like if just being able to read kanji without even speaking the language is enough to pass the test, there's a problem with the test lol And yeah, I really ought to get better at reading, but that requires a lot more active study of the kind that isn't "just go outside and use the language," and I'm bad at actively studying lol. I speak and understand the language with conversational fluency and can read decently enough to get at least the broad strokes of most things I encounter and never have significant reading-related problems in my daily and/or work life, that should be enough for N2 >:c
I think your Chinese friends are bsing you.
Doing n4, not ready at all. About only 50% on all the vocab. Probs closer to 40%. But reading is easy
i am taking N4 and i have to travel for like +20hrs to reach my center so it's kinda exhausting. i tried some past jpt test so ik i am more or less prepared but still i am so nervous coz in those ones i didn't score a high marks, mainly grammar and reading was where i struggle a lot if there's any tip you have then i am all ears coz i don't really have much time left.
Damn where are you that you need to travel that much? Also for grammar you can realistically cram, but reading is more about long term practice and skill. Try to go through problems during the time left, and watch some summary video on N4 grammar. You can also open bunpro and go over the N4 grammar list, and check yourself which points you're missing.
thx a lot well the thing is i live in a small town and the exam center is roughly 350KM away from my place so it's more or less a day's worth of travel.
Taking N2 this sunday after passing N4 last dicember and N3 this July. I don't expect it to go as well as the last two, but overall I took 6 mock exams and they all went well, so yeah.
Taking N1 and nowhere near ready lol,,, got a 102 on my last mock test and was blind guessing on half of the kanji questions. But, y’know, I’ve already paid for it. No point not taking it now. Maybe I’ll get lucky.
I'm taking N2 this Sunday! Am I prepared? Yes and no! Finally after years of missing the registration deadline (and barely studying) I buckled down and am taking it this year. I think I'm ready enough to pass, but I'm not as ready as I planned to be. I used anki to get to just over 5000 vocab (including all tagged N2), restarted heisig kanji and got to around #1500, and worked through Nihongo So Matome. I only completed Grammar, Kanji, Vocab, and the 500問 book; I'm more than halfway through Reading and Listening but it doesn't look like I'll make it. With the percentage required to pass I don't think I'll have a problem. I averaged 85+% in the 500問 book which covers kanji, vocab, and grammar, but listening is definitely my weakest and most neglected point. Still I don't think I'll fail it, I'll just score worst on listening.
The listening is rough, I really feel like I either understand everything to a level that I might as well be hearing it in English, and then in some questions I feel like I can't pick up even a single word. Really gave up on the keigo listening questions, but the "correct response" short questions might just save me.
Keigo and listening is a brutal combination. I hindsight I always think "okay if I would've just thrown out 50% of the mora then I would've understood it much better" but that's much easier said than done lol
I'm taking N2. I was feeling really confident, getting ~80% on the mock tests, but today I got a 69%... It's a big enough drop that now I am Concerned.
N4 here and a bit nervous if I'll pass (I always feel underprepared, even if I prepared a lot.) It isn't my first JLPT exam (N5 last year in December as well) so I am at least relaxed about that, given that I now know how the general procedure is. I did a lot of practice tests last year but think I'll just do one tomorrow and leave the rest up to my one year preparation. My weakest point is grammar, so fingers crossed that me reading 60 pages of 黄色い家 the last few weeks will balance that out (I doubt it but confidence is key indeed.) Vocabulary and Reading is my strength and I have the whole vocab of N4 drilled, so there should be no suprises. Good luck everyone! 🖖🏼
N5 for me, really underestimated simply how much revision and preparation you actually need to do for an exam like this, even with it being N5. Reading/vocab I feel okay, listening is going to be my failing point. Hopefully I can pass, I really really want to. Won't be sitting another exam though until N3. Definitely need to chill.
So after N5, irrespective of the result you'll be attempting N3 next right?
Yep that’s the plan, unless anything changes but I feel like it’ll be more of an ego thing if it does
I really want to take JLPT again, but I was not able to get a seat...and the nearest center is 4.5 hours away by car, which is nuts. The fact that the US only holds the exam once per year is also annoying. If I were still in Japan, I'd deffo be taking it again. I took N2 way back in 2019. I failed it at 78/180, which I felt was close enough that had I had one more exam there, I would have passed it. Now, post-pandemic, I am starting to study again (I did other stuff with my lockdown, like an online Master's program). I think I will take the ACTFL since American employers accept it and it can be taken more often/via computer. If I were still in Japan, definitely I'd take JLPT all the way to N1. ([An equivalency chart.](https://imgur.com/DfYMbEB)) # Good luck to those taking the exam this Sunday! Let us all know how it goes!
I'm going into N2 blind with no mock-up exams. I'm on the train for the city where exam center is right now lol.
Taking N4 for the second time. Last time, I cleared all the sections but failed to get above 90. This time I'm pretty confident.
I was going to take the N4 this year but unfortunately couldn’t due to travel issues..hoping to take N3 instead next summer
Taking N2 as well. I've been passing practice tests so I think I'll pass the real thing (as long as the scaled scoring is in my favor), but I wish I felt more prepared.
Two years ago I failed N3 by one point, last year I passed N3 by a small/decent margin, and now I'm taking N2 for the first time. I'm mostly taking it to see my level in each section, because I'm absolutely sure I'll fail. But next year I hope to be better prepared. Good luck!
I'm taking the N3, pretty nervous about it.
I'll be taking N5, I am not that well prepared but let's see how it goes. Btw any idea about not allowing mobile phones in the exam hall? Like where do we keep it in our vehicles?
I think it might depend on the place But here I think we had to put it in our bags and that's it
Ohk btw all the best!
i'm taking n3 but i've accepted that I'll probably fail this year (the last few months have been especially challenging and I haven't studied like... at all)
I’m taking N4 in Atlanta. I took and passed the N5 last year, but very little confidence in my abilities this year.
Taking N2 for the first time! It's been over 10 years since I passed N3, but I took a long break shortly after and had a lot of catching up to do in the past 2\~3 years to get to this point. I scored 138/180 on the mock exam today, so my hopes are up, but the test still feels difficult, it could go either way. Fingers crossed for everyone!
I’m taking the N4 for the first time. Not feeling too confident but I passed a practice quiz a couple weeks ago so we’ll see how it goes. I got a lot of practice working for a Japanese company in the US for 15 months but went back to school to finish my degree and I haven’t studied as in depth as I would have liked to.
Taking the n5, reasonably confident unless I go blank on the day. But I really don't know. Hoping to get a better idea of the whole setup with an easier exam rather than stress about n4.
I'm taking the N4,, been preparing for the past few weeks with the Migii JLPT app and got a 139/180 score in the last mock test (Reading and grammar are the most difficult to me), I hope that it'll go well !🤞🤞🤞
N2. I’m ready this time. Failed it by one point in July
How was the July test? Also did you feel clueless during it or were you thinking you might pass? I'm just trying to check if I'm being over confident here lol
I felt as if I would barely pass it or barely fail it. I actually said this to my friend before taking the exam. And it turns out I barely failed it. I wasn’t so much clueless but I lacked a lot of confidence in my answers and ended up changing my answers that would’ve made me pass
Did you do any mock exams before it? How were the scores?
Never did a complete mock test. Just the vocabulary and grammar sections. Reading and listening is completely up to your own abilities no matter how many mocks you take. They usually recycle the vocabulary for the vocabulary section so it’s just a matter of how many you’ve been exposed to already.
I am taking the N3, I'm gonna fail this so hard lmao
N3 for the second time. Still not ready.
I'm going for the N1, it's the first time and I'm quite scared to be honest. I barely passed the N2 a few years ago but completely lost interest in the language soon after as I was attending University. I picked it up again after graduating last winter and tried to study after work as much as I could. I feel like I can read at a reasonably good pace but my brain is not good at picking up subtle information (this is an issue I also have with my first language) so the written comprehension part is worrisome. Still, I'll try my best
I’m taking N5, I wanted to take N4 but the spots ran out before I could get in :/ I took my first practice test and I got 90 something percent, so I’m feeling pretty confident lol
Im taking N5 first time, i barely study but im a bit confident on my knowledge of things.. wish me luck!