Because the JLPT isn’t scored like a normal test, it’s hard to tell what score on the practice tests might lend you towards passing. I was wondering if I could gather some data on it.
In particular, I’m debating if I should take n2 this year and n1 next year or n1 next year (and then n1 the year after if I fail). The practice test I took I got a 73% (saving the other practice test on their website for another time)
7 comments
What’s the website for practice tests?
I passed N2 then N1 when I was getting around 75% consistently on practice tests for them. For N2 you only need 50% to pass so if you have a decent buffer above that you should be ok.
Thats what I did. I felt my chances of passing N1 were bad, or maybe just 50-50. And shooting for n1 just felt like a big emotional risk lol. Cause, as you know, if you shoot for N1 and fail, you have a whole year to wait till the next one!!
So took N2, it wasn’t bad, passed with a good cushion but realized i had one section that was worse than others and that would have made passing N1 really hard – since there is a min score for each section.
chotto yodan, but when I took the N2 there were a couple people dressed in anime/furry costumes and they were excited but did badly, one left mid test, just walked out, it was both funny and sad.
anyway, had planned to do N1 the next year …but corona got in the way – but finally passed this last December. Barely. Like, barely passed. It was a hard test, AND it was hard to get a spot since so many test places were closed for corona.
What i had realized – of course, your situation may be different, but there is a bunch of specific vocab and grammar on N1 that i for sure hadn’t mastered, and it def needed some sustained effort – as an example, can you correctly use すら でさえ in a sentence immediately/without thinking? Its not enough to know them – you have to use them correctly, right away, with time running out.
There were really a good number of things like that and it wouldn’t have passed without some sustained effort on the grammar portion.
Do you *need* JLPT certification for any reason? If not, don’t take *either* test. Just do the things you’re learning Japanese to do.
If you do need certification, then invest in some of the past test books and practice on those before taking the lowest necessary level required. Don’t waste any more of your time and energy studying for tests you don’t need. Spend it on more enjoyable ways of using Japanese.
If you have been hitting 7x% in practices (I supposed they are full size mock tests) then you should be good to go.
I insisted full tests because in N1 you only enemy is time. Getting used to read long and non-narrative essay is very important.
last time i took the n2 i just barely failed by a couple points and i think there was a grading error or something because my section 1 was way off from what i know i answered (don’t anyone @ me about this i don’t want to debate my personal experience)
however, i figure it was close enough, i definitely knew enough to pass in any case, so i’ve been aiming for n1 since then. i’ll take it this year and see how i do. i don’t really care about the results and i don’t take practice tests, but i’m still curious
if you got a 73 you’re more than fine for n2, you’ll do better than i did at that time
good luck!
When i was studying for N1, I had a Vietnamese friend who had a book with all the JLPT papers (with answers for reference) since 1998-2018. I remember doing all of them, day in and day out i would just repeat doing the papers and memorized everything basically. (sometimes i would do 3 a day) and just practiced the vocabulary around the questions. I based my vocabulary across the whole book.
I failed N5 in 2017 Dec (started learning japanese 2 months before the exam), and cleared N1 in July 2019. (145/180) P.S- I moved to Japan in March 2018, so it helped me alot since I was going to a japanese school to study the language Monday-Friday 9AM-4PM.