JLPT

Are any of you interested in taking the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Examination)? If so, I’ll explain here how to apply, prepare, and take the test. I took it yesterday, so while it’s fresh in my mind, I figure I should write something useful.

First, you should know that the JLPT is held twice a year worldwide, once in the summer (July) and once in winter (December). There are 5 levels with N5 being the easiest and N1 being the most difficult. Japanese companies (inside or outside the country) looking to hire non-Japanese may require you to take this test as proof of your Japanese abilities. If it’s a good or prestigious company, they usually require you to have passed N1 or maybe N2. It costs ¥5,500 to take the test.

Applying: I’m going to tell you how I applied, although I think there is more than one way. I first made an account on the JLPT website, it doesn’t take much time. The application period usually lasts for a few weeks a few months before the test date. Check the website for exact dates for the tests and application period. Once the application period begins, you can apply online. You choose your method of payment then. For those who live in Japan and are worried because they don’t have a debit or credit card, it’s ok. You can pay at a convenience store.

Studying: Obviously you must choose (before applying) which level you want to take. On the JLPT website, there are sample questions and things you can look at to determine what level suits you. If you are taking the JLPT just as a way to test your skills or motivation to study, then choose whatever you think suits you, but if you are taking the JLPT because you want to find a job with a Japanese company, then maybe you shouldn’t waste your money taking anything lower than N1 or N2. Just my opinion.

Once you’ve decided on a level, there are all sorts of study methods available to you. I went to the bookstore and bought JLPT study books (there are many brands…I suppose just choose what you like or look at reviews in advance or something). Usually there will be books for each level dedicated to each section of the test: Language Knowledge (grammar, vocabulary, and kanji), Reading Comprehension, and Listening comprehension. Phone apps for studying kanji can be really useful, and I also know people who recommend and use “Anki” online for studying kanji. Watching JLPT Youtube videos for studying grammar points is also a good tool, I think. There are also private tutors you can hire to help you study for the JLPT if you are that hardcore.

The books I used.

Taking the Test: You will get your test voucher in the mail not long before the test day. It will have your information on it and the time and location of the test. You must bring this in order to take the test. I think if you lose it, though, there is a way for you to reregister at the test site. You don’t need any other identification. My advice is to eat a big breakfast before leaving your home and bring a drink and snack with you to eat during the short break. There isn’t enough time for you to get lunch between test sections. No eating or drinking is allowed during the test. Use the bathroom before the test (beware the very long lines at the test site…particularly if you are a girl). You cannot leave the room to use the toilet during the test. If you do, you are disqualified. While taking the test, you are allowed to use HB mechanical or regular pencils. You should bring an eraser, but it must be taken out of its paper casing. If you are wearing a facemask, the proctors will ask you to show them the inside to make sure you didn’t write anything. You are also allowed to wear a wristwatch that doesn’t make noise. You can set the wristwatch on the desk if you’d like. Any watches that make noise or small clocks are prohibited. There might not be a clock in the test room (there was none in mine), so it think it’s important to bring a watch so you can keep track of how much time you have left on each test. They will make no announcements before time is up, they will simply say out of nowhere, “The test is over. Put down your pencil now.”

The proctors are very strict. If they see you touch your pencil at any time you shouldn’t they will yell at you or give you a “yellow card” which means “warning.” Perhaps if you get two warnings, then you are disqualified. If you get a red card, you are disqualified immediately. Perhaps the main way this happens is if your cell phone makes any sort of noise. Cell phones must be turned off completely, put in a paper envelope they provide, and put in your bag under your desk (or just under your desk if you have no bag). All instructions are in Japanese. Seats are assigned by your identification number on your test voucher.

Other Information: The test sites are very crowded. Go early. You might be surprised to find yourself in a very long, crowded, slow-moving march of foreign people heading to the test site. Trains to the test site will be crowded with hundreds of people taking the test (at least in Japan). For a girl, it might take 20 minutes of waiting in line to use the toilet. I’m not saying you have to go suuuper early, just don’t go with hardly any time to spare. Also, there is no check in. Once everyone is in their seat at test time, the proctors come around and compare your faces to the picture you provided when you applied.  Everything is run strictly on time. You will be disqualified if you are not in your seat at test time.

All the people gathering at the station after the
 test. This is a very rural station, actually.
98% of these people are non-Japanese.

Also, knowing how the test is set up ahead of time is important. The format of the questions, especially listening ones can be confusing if you didn’t look into the types of questions beforehand. If you buy JLPT textbooks, then they should have sample questions formatted like on the actual test, but to be safe, also look at the JLPT sample questions online. Part of successfully taking the test is knowing how to actually take it to begin with. The very long reading comprehension questions and passages are at the end and are exhausting, so when I take it again, I plan on tackling those first instead of the short questions in the beginning that don’t require as much brain power.

Also, please note that there is no speaking or writing section on the test. All answers are multiple choice. Thank God!

Results: You will be notified in the mail of your results a couple months after the test. If you registered online, you are able to check your score a bit earlier though. The sections and scoring are different depending on which level you took, but in a nutshell, you need to get a certain base score in each section plus another base score for the total. So N2, for example, has three sections: Listening (60 points), Reading (60 points), and Language Knowledge (60 points) for a total of 180 points. You must get at least 19 points in each section and a total score of 90 or more. So even if you got 19 points in each section, you still wouldn’t pass the test because 19 x 3 doesn’t add up to 90 or more. On the other hand, you could have gotten a total of 90 points but with one of you section scores being lower than 19. It that case, you also fail. Sorry if that explanation is confusing.

Anyway, it was my first time to try the test. I went for N2. I don’t know my results yet, but I’m like 90% sure I failed because I didn’t study nearly as much as I should have. I’m no longer in that college student mode. Life is busy and if I don’t make a specific time to study, I won’t. I live in Japan and speak Japanese just fine. I’d consider myself relatively fluent in speaking and listening. The listening section was pretty easy for me, but I found myself literally just guessing at the reading comprehension and kanji questions. You really need to prepare and know your kanji VERY well before trying to take the JLPT. They purposefully give you tricky questions.

So anyone who wants to take the JLPT, I hope that helps, and GOOD LUCK!