Everything You Need to Know About JLPT

JLPT is an internationally recognized test that is conducted to check the proficiency level in Japanese. You can also call it the “Japanese Language Proficiency Test.” It consists of 5 stages called levels. If you see the difficulty of the standards, N1 is the hardest, and N5 is the easiest one.

In Japanese, this exam is called Nіhоngо Nоrуоku Shіkеn (日本語能力試験). Things that you are going to learn in this article are given below:

Differentiate the levels of JLPT
Why should you take JLPT, and why not?
What should you study if you want to take N1 or N2?

The JLPT Lеvеlѕ:

Before that, JLPT has four levels. But now the management has divided them into five levels. Their names are given below:

It’s your decision in which test you want yourself to get registered. You can also do a self-assessment if you’re going to know your level. For that purpose, JLPT has sample questions on their official website.

What’s the dіffеrеnсе with thеѕе JLPT levels?

If you want to pass any level of this test, you need to know the recommended amount of Kanji, Vocabulary Words, and Grammar Patterns.

Following is the list of every level and its recommendations that you need to pass the exam:

For N5: Must know 100 kanji and 800 vocabulary words
For N4: Must know 300 kanji and 1,500 vocabulary words
For N3: Must know 650 kanji and 3,700 vocabulary words
For N2: Must know 1,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words
For N1: Must know 2,000 kanji and 10,000 vocabulary words

For any JLPT level, if you want to know the unofficial list of kanji, vосаbulаrу, and grammar роіntѕ, there are some website you can visit, like tаnоѕ.со.uk.

Taking the JLPT – Pros and Cоnѕ:

Pros and Cons of the JLPT depend on the following factors:

Your reason for learning
Future plans
Level of the JLPT
Some other factors

Now, we need to look at the pros and cons of this test which will decide either this test is useful or not.

Pros:

Can help in dеtеrmіnіng ѕtudу gоаlѕ: As mentioned earlier, if you want to pass JLPT, you need to know about the recommendation of each level. Information about every list and its recommended kanji, vосаbulаrу words, and grammar роіntѕ are available online.

It is beneficial for those students who are preparing for the JLPT by themselves. They can know every detail about the level they want to register. Even it is useful for those who don’t want to give the exam. Let’s take an example; if you want to go on the next level but don’t know about the next level grammar points, you can check the relevant JLPT grammar list.

Can іmрrоvе resume: If you have cleared the test of JLPT, particularly the levels of N3 and above, this will make your CV more prominent. For example, if you apply for a job as a translator, tour guide, or language tutor, you will be preferred because of the JLPT. It is proof of your proficiency in Japanese, and the employer will get impressed with your precision in this language.

Help in School and University Applications: Some universities in Japan have the rule for international students to submit the JLPT certificate of a certain level along with all the admission documents. But most of the universities have no requirements for JLPT. In case you apply in those schools and universities, they will be able to know how much understanding you have for Japanese. This certificate will determine your communication abilities in Japanese.

So before you apply for study in any Japanese school or university, make sure that whether they require JLPT or not.

Cons:

Distance: If you want to take the JLPT, you need to travel to the nearest location where this test is going to be held. The area depends on where you live. (There are total 47 locations in Japan, where this test held).

Limited Use of Lower Levels: The use of lower levels (N5 and N4) of JLPT is not much as the higher levels (N3 and higher). The lower levels are an excellent addition to your CV and for study purposes. But practically, it is rare to find their implementation. Because of this drawback, people who don’t live in Japan are scared of JLPT. That’s why they don’t apply for Japan until they have prepared themselves for N3 and higher.

Fees to Pay: For the registration of JLPT, you need to pay the comparatively economical fee. But there are certain situations in which you can have your test fees back. For example, if you are taking the test in the same institution in which you are taking classes, there is a chance that they give you relaxation for the fees.

Can Be a Source of Stress: Whether you are taking this test for admission in school or university or a job, this could be stressful for you even if you are taking it as a study goal. If you don’t score enough points in this test, it doesn’t mean that you are incompetent. It is because you have taken so much stress of this test. One more thing that you should keep in mind that there is no need to take JLPT for fun or traveling purposes unless it is compulsory.

Progressing through the levels of JLPT:

Right now, we are working on creating an article series that will help you in the preparation of JLPT. Every article is specific to one of the five levels of JLPT, and it will be beneficial. You should check our article on level N2.

Some Advice for you:

If you are planning to take JLPT, here’s some advice. First, you need to prepare yourself for the lower levels, and then gradually move to higher levels. Then follow the given guidance:

Pick an excellent Japanese textbook series and complete it thoroughly:

If you are doing intermediate studies, then you need the Genki series. It is one of the best for beginners. It doesn’t matter that you are learning and practicing Japanese from movies, family, or online websites; reading a text series is the best idea to improve your Japanese grammar.

Any Textbook should be supplemented by real-world resources:

Japanese movies, books, songs are the best way to learn Japanese. You could learn how to use and different contextual meanings of the words. This practice will also make you able to identify the small differences between the same words.

You can use the online website and other sources and utilize them to enhance your listening and reading skills in Japanese. We have a learning studio for the same purpose, having a name, Kawa Kawa. Our blog section has free articles that will tell you about the grammar and its usage. Our Library Tab is always available for students who want to do practices on different levels of JLPT.

Take practice tests:

You will get surprised by the format of some questions of JLPT if you haven’t taken the trial before. Every level of JLPT has a different format for questions. But once you understand the pattern of the question format, then it will become easy to understand the issues on every level.