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Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Can anyone give me some information regarding the Japanese language tests? I believe there are 4 levels, the easiest being level 4. Can you take these tests all over Japan?
Thanks

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Which tests are you talking about: there are several of them

JETRO (Business Japanese)

Japanese language profiency Test (Nihongo Noryoku Shiken) 4 levels

Nihongo Kantei Shiken (for Japanese who want to test their Kanji ability- about 6 or 7 levels)

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Japanese language proficiency test

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

JLPT Level 4 test is the easiest, and therefore the only one I have passed....!

You can sit the test whenever you want, as long as it is the first Sunday in December....!

It is cheaper to sit the test OUTSIDE Japan, than within. I can't understand that one; I sat it in Oz, it was then sent to Japan to be marked, returned to the institution in Oz where I sat the test, and they posted it to me (back) in Japan. Yes everything really is more expensive in Japan (except toilet rolls and cigarettes......shame I don't smoke anymore............)

ironopolis · Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 379

For the JLPT there's an application deadline in early September.

I agree with the above, it definitely seems to be cheaper to take the test in other countries. Several years ago I took level 3 when I was back in the UK for a short while. I'm sure the deadline was later as well as it being cheaper. I got quite a shock when I found how much I had to fork out for the subsequent tests I took in Japan.

If you're going to go for level 4 first, I think you're supposed to know 100 kanji for that level. I never took level 4, but if the other levels are anything to go by, you could probably still pass knowing siginificantly fewer kanji than that. It's very much a "technique" kind of test; practice taking past tests and you'll be well on your way to success even if your Japanese is crap!!

Seriously, the same kind of questions come up again and again, so that's definitely a good way to prepare. All the Qs are multi-choice so you don't actually have to write any Japanese. There's no speaking test either. Obviously, like all multi-choice type exams, they give you lots of distractors in the answers. Good luck!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Can anyone recommend any books or sites where I could find info on the level 4 test?

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

Gordon

here is a sample of the JLPT test so you can test and measure your Japanese ability

http://www.transparent.com/tlquiz/proftest/japanese/tljpntest.htm

Good luck,

Paul

Tonester · Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:27 am Post subject:

I took level 3 in Tokyo back in 1999 and it was held at Todai. I returned to Australia and took the level 2 exam which was held at the University of Queensland. I passed it on the 2nd try but I will tell you all; the jump is huge between level 2 and 3. The level 2 reading comprehension will kill you if you don't prepare for it adequately.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Can anyone recommend any books?

Thanks for the link Paul, but I was looking for a site with some hard info on the test. All I know is that the test is in December.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

The Level 4 test seems to be based on the Japanese for Busy People Series. Book 1 (all), Book 2 Lessons 1-5& 7 and 14; that helped me a lot Very Happy

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~ik2r-myr/kanji/kanji1pa.htm

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Thank you for your help. Maybe this will help motivate me to study more.

ironopolis · Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 379

Gordon,

If you go to any bookstore with at least a semi-decent selection of English books, they'll probably also have, amongst the Japanese for foreigners books section, some copies of past JLPT papers including tapes for the listening section. There'll also be some books specifically intended for JLPT revision.

For the kanji, I'd strongly recommend using a course that has you practise writing each one with the correct stroke order. You DON'T need to write any for the test, but I found that learning the stroke order was one of the keys to remembering them at all. "Kodansha's compact kanji guide" is an excellent reference tool to have; it lists all the joyo kanji (which is more than you need even for level 2) and for each one gives a stroke by stroke diagram of how to write it. It's intended for foreigners learning the language and I found it very user-friendly even when I was at the stage of knowing hardly anything. A lot of people shy off getting stuck into kanji, and some are perhaps put off by Japanese who trumpet the old "too hard for foreigners" chestnut. But picking up even just little bits'n'pieces here and there will help your vocab improve rapidly.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Thanks ironopolis for the advice. The best bookstore in my city still doesn't have much, but maybe I'll go to a "real store" soon somewhere else. These are the times you want to live in a big city.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I recommend going to Kobe. In fact, I was in Kobe months ago, either at Maruzen or Junkudo and I bought a book for the level 4 Japanese test.
I use the book Japanese for Everybody, and there is a kanji book that goes with it.
I prefer to use the Kumon series for learning kanji. My teacher is preparing me for the test, and she likes Kumon.
One Japanese man I know thought that learning how to write kanji properly was the way he could remember them. When I started kanji, I thought it was tough, but I kept at it, and now when I look back, those kanji were easier. Now I am at the point where the kanji is a combination of two or three together.