The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is the standard test for determining how much you understand the Japanese language. Because N5 is the least and simplest level of the test, most people usually start writing the test by taking it before proceeding to take other tougher levels.
If you are interested in studying for JLPT N5 and coming out in flying colors, you will definitely want to know how long it will take you to study for the test. Well, it is worthwhile to know that there is no official answer for determining the duration required to study for JLPT N5. However, this post will address this and shed more light on the estimated duration that you need to study for JLPT N5.
The main thing to understand here is that you need about 350 hours of study if you already know some kanji characters. Provided you are just learning Japanese and don’t understand any kanji, you will need as much as 600 hours of study.
Whether you have any previous knowledge of Japanese or not, it is recommended that you start studying for JLPT N5 about 6 or more months before the test. This ensures that you have enough time to prepare for it. It also boosts your chances of passing N5.
Is there any official duration for studying for JLPT N5?
In the past, the Japanese Education Exchanges and Services (JEES) used to provide the details of the time required to study for each level of the JLPT. However, in recent times, things have changed and the organization does not recommend any official study hour for JLPT again.
According to the recommendations made by the JEES in 2007, you need about 150 hours of study to prepare adequately for JLPT N5. Nonetheless, this does not seem right as the time is definitely too short to prepare for N5, especially if you do not have any previous understanding of the Japanese language.
Nevertheless, some people have suggested that the recommendation of the Japanese Education Exchanges and Services is only meant for the hours you need to spend in class. In other words, you will still need to spend more hours studying for the test yourself. If this should be the case, then the recommendation of 150 hours of study is not right as you need additional hours to get everything required for passing the test.
Recommendations of the JLEC JLPT
The Japanese Language Education Center (JLEC) is in charge of enlisting different Japanese language schools that are registered to operate in Japan. Although this service does not necessarily have authority over the test, it can be trusted to an extent as long as the JLPT is concerned. Based on the official recommendation of this center, you need about 250 to 400 hours of study when you are preparing to take N5.
Notably, you need around 250 hours of study to take N5 if you already have some knowledge of the language. However, you will need more hours if you are completely new to Japanese.
Recommendations on experiences
Having observed the previous recommendations of the Japanese Education Exchanges and Services as well as the Japanese Language Education Center, there is a disparity in the study hours for N5 and other levels of JLPT. However, we have also considered the experiences of Japanese learners that have already taken the test.
Based on the experiences of the learners of the Japanese language, you will need about 350 hours to study to around 600 hours of study. The only major factor that will determine how long it will take you to study for JLPT N5 is your previous knowledge of Japanese. Generally, the writing systems of some Asian languages are similar to Japanese writing systems; therefore, people that already understand those Asian languages will not experience much difficulty with studying for JLPT N5.
For instance, if you are a Chinese student, you will have a good understanding of kanji, which is one of the most difficult parts of N5. Therefore, you will not need to spend lots of hours to study for N5. In fact, around 350 hours should be enough for you to study for JLPT N5.
However, if you are a native English speaker without any previous knowledge of kanji or any Japanese writing systems, you will likely need as much as 600 hours to prepare for the exam. This is because you will be introduced to the Japanese language from the scratch. Unfortunately, this will make it necessary for you to spend more time learning the basics of the language.
In other words, if you have a good understanding of kanji, you will need to spend about 5 hours every day for 70 days to study for N5. This means that you can study for the test within 3 months. On the other hand, if you are new to the language, you may have to dedicate 5 hours each day for 120 days to study properly for N5. That is, 4 months of intense daily study will be enough to study for JLPT N5.
When you consider the fact that other engagements may not allow you to dedicate as much as 5 hours daily to studying for N5, you will need about 6 months to prepare for JLPT N5.
What do you need to study for JLPT N5?
Don’t forget that JLPT N5 only measures basic knowledge of Japanese. So, you only have to study fundamental hiragana, katakana, and around 100 kanji characters. Besides, you need a vocabulary of around 800 words for N5.
Having suggested the study hours for N5, you need to realize that your study hours must be focused on the real things you need to pass the test. You should get all the necessary resources such as Genki I, Minna No Nihongo, a Japanese dictionary, etc. You are also advised to join a class or learn from a tutor so that learning Japanese can be smooth and easy for you.