Just like in many other countries, if you want to move to Japan, it is recommended for you to learn the Japanese language during your stay in the country. This is a great way to boost your chance of relating to the natives, getting job opportunities, and so on.
you can take JLPT N4 without N5.Since the N5 is lower than N4 on the scale of the levels of JLPT, most individuals usually take N5 before taking the N4 test. However, this does not mean you have to follow this particular pattern.
To assess your understanding of the language, you have to take JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). This test comes in 5 levels (N1, N2, N3, N4, and N5), and JLPT N4 and JLPT N5 are the least levels of this test.
For most people, the fear of failing the exam is the main reason for writing N5 first. Nonetheless, you need to understand that lots of individuals have skipped N5 to take N4 and they did well in the test. So, if you think you truly have a good understanding of the Japanese language, you can take a chance with skipping N5 and taking N4.
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What is the difference between N5 and N4?
JLPT N5 is the easiest and least level of this Japanese test. It is basically designed to provide you with a few fundamental things that you need to know about the Japanese language. It evaluates how much you know about Japanese vocabulary, reading, and listening. With good preparation, passing the N5 is usually easy for most individuals.
On the other hand, JLPT N4 is the second least level of JLPT. The basic target of this level is to assess your ability to understand and even speak some fundamental Japanese words. To pass this level, you should be capable of reading a few topics as long as they are written with Kanji and some other easy-to-understand vocabulary. With JLPT N4, you may be able to contribute to slow-paced conversations with the basic vocabulary.
Although both N4 and N5 can equip you with a basic knowledge of the Japanese language, they are not enough. Therefore, either of these levels may not be sufficient to help you get your dream job. This is especially true if the job requires speaking Japanese professionally or getting in touch with Japanese-speaking customers.
Besides, N4 or N5 may also not play any key role in your educations. However, you may not be able to pass N1, N2, or N3 without passing one or both of these least levels.
How to decide whether you can skip N5 to take 4
Factually, no one can tell you when you should skip N5 and take N4. You have to decide on your own when you are fully convinced of your knowledge of the Japanese language.
As you try to decide whether you should skip N5 or not, you should ask yourself these vital questions:
- Are you convinced that you understand Japanese enough to take N4 without N5?
- Why are you interested in taking JLPT?
- Why are you learning this language?
Your answers to these three questions can go a long way in deciding whether you are ready to skip JLPT 5 or not.
Why skip JLPT N5 and take N4?
If you are asking a question about the essence of skipping N5 to take N4, there are a couple of reasons you can consider when taking this action. Foremost, N5 is not really a prerequisite for N4. That is, there is no rule that stipulates that you must first pass N5 before you can take N4. So, if you think you are ready for N4, you can simply go-ahead to take the test without necessarily taking N5. In fact, you can skip N5 and N4 and write a higher level of the test.
Secondly, skipping N5 to take N4 can save you lots of money. Generally, you have to pay some amount of money when registering for any level of JLPT. Therefore, if you skip N5 to take N4, you don’t have to pay for N5 at all. Hence, you would have saved some amount of money while doing this. At the same, you would have avoided the possibility of wasting time and effort on the test.
Why you should not skip N5
It is worthwhile to note that taking N4 without N5 is quite risky. This is because N4 is more difficult to pass than N5. Hence, since you have not tested your knowledge of the Japanese language before, there is a risk of taking N4 when you are not knowledgeable enough to pass it. If you take N4 and fail, you would have wasted your money on it and may even need to consider starting again from the scratch with N5.
Another reason that can make you not take N4 without N5 is your purpose. For individuals that are taking the test to boost their career, improve their education, or get more job opportunities, skipping the N5 is not advisable. This is because some employers may assume that you don’t have a basic understanding of the language since you have skipped the fundamental class.
In addition, failing any level of JLPT is highly discouraging for most individuals. In fact, lots of individuals have desisted from taking the exam before they failed at the first try. Unfortunately, skipping N5 to write N4 increases the risk of failing the test. Therefore, you should think carefully about this factor before deciding to skip the test.
So, should you take N4 without N5?
At the end of the day, this decision boils down to your choice. You have to think about what you want to do, why you are writing the test, and so on before deciding to skip N4. So, when you are fully convinced that you are knowledgeable enough to skip N5 for N4, you can do so. Again, consider the various reasons listed above before taking any decision.