If you are studying the Japanese language or if you are getting interested in studying the language, the first question you’ll find asking is how long it is going to take you. For starters, if you did your research well, then you probably know that the JLPT comes in five different levels. The JLPT N5 is the first level that’s meant to test your Japanese language basics.
The examination mainly contains three parts which are reading, writing and listening. This means that you’ll have to perfect your grammar as well as your vocabulary. For vocabulary, you mainly have to master the Hiragana and the Katakana syllabus. However, at this stage, you’re not yet expected to be fluent. Usually, fluency comes when you reach the JLPT N3. The real question you’ll need to ask yourself is how you can pass JLPT N5. Answering this question will automatically answer the question of how long it will take you to pass this first basic level. Let’s look at some factors that’ll help you to answer this question more reasonably.
What are the statistics?
In order for you to determine how much time it’ll take you to pass your JLPT N5, it’s necessary to look at what the statistics have to say. There are many sources that have their different estimates on how much time it might take you to pass your JLPT N5. For example, one source suggests that if you devote your time to studying the Japanese language it can take you about six months to pass your JLPT N5. If you, however, posses some deep knowledge in any Asian language, it’ll take you this time to reach the third level. The time is also directly affected by how you study. If you are self-studying, it’ll take you more than six months to achieve this goal.
Another source suggests that it takes approximately 350 hours for someone who posses some Kanji basics. However, for those people who come from none Asian countries, it takes approximately 462 hours of devoted study to tackle and pass the JLPT N5. A different source requests that you need to spend 5 hours of class and 10 hours of self-study per week in order to pass your JLPT N5 in two and a half months. However, another source suggests that you require 250 to 450 hours of intense study if you are from an Asian country. For any other person, it’ll take about 325 to 600 hours to pass your test.
Despite the statistics, there are proven factors that’ll highly determine the duration of time it’ll take you to pass your JLPT N5. Let’s look at them in detail.
The time you devote to studying the Japanese language
This is all about the quantity of your study time. Surely, good results are not going to be handed to you on a silver platter. You need to work your way through passing your JLPT N5. Though the JLPT N5 is the basic level, you need to put the time to practice and revise in order to pass. Therefore, the more hours you devote to studying the language each day, the less time you’ll need to pass JLPT N5. Challenge yourself, set realistic goals in the process. However, the moment you decide you are going to study the Japanese language then be serious with your language study. Make sure to attend class or get a tutor. This way, you get someone to guide you along your journey. Do not depend entirely on your tutor for progress. Studies show that, if you have the right drive to study a language, then you won’t really need a teacher. This means that you are going to do 90% of the work on your own. Therefore, make sure to read your stuff. Revise thoroughly and consistently.
The strategy you use in studying for the test
This is all about the quality of your study. Even if you set aside many hours for studying for your test, it can all prove to be in vain if you don’t use the strategy that’s right for you. Therefore that means that finding the right strategy means less time you’ll require to pass your JLPT N5. You have to know the questions that are frequently asked and the structure of your exam. The best way to know this is through revising past exam papers. The more you also revise your stuff, the more you’ll familiarize yourself with the test. Hence, this means that it’ll be much easier for you to pass your JLPT N5.
Also, remember that since JLPT N5 mainly focuses on the basics, you have to take your basic practice of the language seriously. Apply what you learn in your daily life, make conversations with natives, listen to Japanese music and audios, watch Japanese television, etc. The JLPT N5 comes in 3 sections which are vocabulary, grammar, and listening. You’ll also have to know at least 300 basic Kanji. You can always go online and look for sites that teach basic Kanji or you can purchase books that base on that.
Your native language
Research shows that people who come from Asian countries spend less time preparing their JLPT N5. This is not the case for people who possess English or any other language as their native language. In fact, it can take someone from an east Asian country half the time it takes someone from a none east Asian country to pass all the JLPT levels. This is because there’s some relation in the style of the languages from east Asian countries. For instance, it’s much easier for someone from countries such as Korea and China to pass their JLPT N5. If you also possess some knowledge from the past in the Japanese language or any of the Asian languages it’ll take you less time to pass your JLPT N5.
Conclusion
In summary, it’s not obvious that you are going to pass your JLPT N5 at first try. Even if it’s the basic level, you might find it challenging especially if you are not serious with your language. However, it’s important to always keep your focus on the main goal. As you fall, get yourself up and try again. And, the more time you give your language learning along with the right strategy that works best for you is the correct recipe that’ll allow you to take less time to pass your JLPT N5.