The Japanese Language Proficiency Test or popularly known as JLPT is a standardized test for evaluating the proficiency of non- natives in the Japanese language. The test comprises of five levels with N5 being the easiest and N1 the most difficult. It is organized two times in a year at some of the selected educational institutions.
Each level assesses your skills in ‘Reading’ and ‘Listening’ aspects. The total score of each level ranges between 0 to 180. The knowledge of Vocabulary and Grammar is also a crucial part of the test. The levels N1 to N3 have three scoring sections while N4 and N5 have only two of them. The aim of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or JLPT is to attain the knowledge of Japanese vocabulary and successfully use it for the conversation.
The most elementary level N5 demands you to know some primary Japanese language. In the ‘Reading’ section, the applicant is expected to read and understand the customary sentences in the three writing systems, namely, Hiragana, Katakana, and simple Kanji. A point to be noted here is that Kanji is quite complex in comparison to its other two counterparts. Thus, simple Kanji knowledge is tested in N5. When it comes to the ‘Listening’ section, the test taker should be able to listen and comprehend the fundamental conversations about daily life situations. N5 is the most initial test; the conversations are played very slowly so that the applicant understands and judges it better.
Even when the N5 is the first level of JLPT, passing it is a considerable achievement. This is because of the fact that Kanji is the most perplexing language to be learned. Kanji has two different types of reading- Onyomi and Kunyomi; This is because it originated with the Chinese hanzi characters, which was then adopted by the Japanese. As per the description of N5, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or JLPT expects you to know around 100 Kanji characters to pass. The test anticipates that the test takers should know 100 most commonly used Kanji for time, places, people, numbers, adjectives, verbs, and directions. Therefore, it is quite beneficial to know the rudimentary Kanji radicals to frame the composite vocabulary.
ü Kanji for Numbers:
As you might be aware that the Japanese often employ the use of Roman numerals when it comes to numerals. However, this doesn’t mean that you should forsake the kanji system of numbering. For JLPT, the knowledge of numbers in Kanji style is a must. The Kanji style of writing ‘one,’ ‘two,’ ‘three’ is simply about three horizontal lines, being added in the same increasing order. The writing of subsequent numbers turns out to be intricate. Also, hold in mind that the writing style of numbers in Kanji is confusing. Minor differences should be carefully looked for.
ü Kanji for People and Things:
The Japanese Kanji words included in this category have evolved the most, and there are many words under this. This category of JLPT N5 Kanji includes essential natural elements, body parts, and people. This group of Kanji knowledge requires good reading. ‘Father,’ ‘mother,’ ‘sister,’ ‘man,’ ‘woman,’ ‘water,” fire,’ ‘earth,’ ‘eye,’ ‘mouth,’ ‘nose’ are some of the staple words that are tested in JLPT N5 Kanji.
ü Kanji for Time:
This category involves the usage of characters denoting time and the related tense. It should also include knowledge regarding the days of the week and months of the year.
ü Kanji for Verbs:
As you would expect from the level of the JLPT N5, this domain simply requires you to know the common verb vocabulary like eat, drink, read, write, hear, talk, go, etc. It focuses on the Onyomi readings.
ü Kanji for Place and Direction:
This category of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or JLPT N5 tests your understanding of the essential direction words like ‘outside,’ ‘inside,’ ‘north,’ ‘south,’ ‘east,’ ‘west,’ ‘up,’ ‘down,’ ‘right,’ ‘left’ and places like ‘school,’ ‘home,’ ‘college,’ ‘bank’ etc.
ü Kanji for Adjectives:
As you would expect, the simple Kanji adjective words are tested under this domain. ‘Little,’ ‘Elementary,’ ‘cheap,’ ‘expensive,’ etc. are some examples to be quoted. It reviews the kunyomi readings.
To learn this logographic Japanese language, Kanji is a severe challenge. The writing of even the most basic words turns out to be cumbersome. Hardcore dedication and perseverance are the pillars to undertake this daunting task. The standard style of mastering Kanji involves the usage of mnemonics, flashcards (use the app Anki for this), and the famous book Remembering the Kanji‘ by James Heisig. Learn the cardinal Kanji radicals so that it becomes easier for you to split the complicated words and get acquainted with the meaning and pronunciation. With loads of study material available both online and offline for every level of JLPT, you can undoubtedly set your boat sailing in the Japanese language. Achieving a high score in JLPT is extremely helpful as it not only looks good on the CV of a person who wants to pursue a job in Japan but also pushes your learning limits of the Japanese language.
Continuous drilling, practicing, and repeating are the indispensable guidelines that should be followed.