Job Discussion Forums

the yellow brick road · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 25

Anyone have experience they want to share with level 2? What are your tips? Thanks Laughing

starteacher · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 237

The JLPT is worth it

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

the yellow brick road · Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 25

I been hearing the reading section is hardest.

I been studying grammar first and memorizing a lot of little grammatical rules. I am also studying kanji.. somehow I need to get my hands on some old tests and try them out.

Any other tips?

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

The reading section was insane when I wrote it. I got the feeling that nearly nobody could finish it. I'd recommend doing a lot of scanning practice on your reading exercises. You won't have time to thoroughly analyze each line.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Apsara and Canuck2112, thanks for the advice on how to approach the reading section of Level 2. In my preparation for this test, the reading section is definitely the most challenging part for me.

I am currently at a pre-2 level (2010 N3) but I am going to sit the test on July 5th as a practice run. I plan to sit 2kyuu again in December. At the moment I simply need the time to fully prepare for it in order to obtain a satisfactory result.

I agree with starteacher and Apsara: I am finding that as my level nears 2kyuu, many facets of the Japanese language and culture are opening up to me. This is exhilarating. It encourages me to do more and more and more with the language (some day, newspaper reading).

Best of luck to all in your language study and preparation for the JLPT!

Regards,
fat_chris

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I managed to finish the reading section in the actual JLPT2 test with a few extra minutes, but only because I had done the preparation and timed myself strictly on all the questions. If you spend too long on any one question it sets up a domino effect where you get increasingly behind time, which isn't good. Better to give your best guess and move on than spend too much time on one or two questions.

Zzonkmiles · Joined: 05 Apr 2003 Posts: 309

I passed 2-kyu in 2006. What I'd recommend is focusing on your strength and use that to get you to 60%. For me, it was kanji recognition. So my path to 60% consisted of the following:

1. Score really, really well on the kanji/vocabulary
2. Hold my own on the listening
3. Not have a disaster with the reading/grammar

Basically, I knew the reading/grammar section was the hardest part, so I made sure to offset this as much as I could by racking up as many points as I could on the kanji/vocab section and breaking even on the listening.

The Kanzen Master books are really good for grammar. The 2-kyu book has a green cover and can be found in most bookstores. For reading, I'd recommend reading news sites in Japanese (such as CNN) or Japanese blogs and social networking sites.

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

I'm really glad to find a JLPT thread on here right now. I have some questions, too, although they don't deal with level 2.

I was wondering about level 3 versus level 4. I took an old level 4 test and it was pretty easy. I've studied Japanese here and there, and I lived here a few years ago for a year. I'm back now, and want to get serious. My problem is going to be the reading section for level 3. My kanji skills are baaaad. I think listening and grammar is there. Just need to keep adding to the vocab.

I don't really want to take level 4 in December, because I don't think I'd have any problem passing it now, and there is still a good amount of time to study for level 3. And if I took level 4 now, I'd have to wait another year to take level 3. Also, is there really any benefit to having a level 4 certificate (besides self satisfaction for a beginning student?) If you look at the stats online, very few people even take level 4 compared to the other levels. Why is that?

(Might have just answered my own question regarding taking 3 or 4 with that paragraph)

In any case, if we could make this into a JLPT resource thread or even a sticky with study tips, links to websites, etc. I think that would be awesome. Sure everyone interested already knows, but the official website (in English) is:

http://www.jlpt.jp/e/

You can download samples of old tests, although some of the ones I downloaded are missing some answer selections.

Another study resource I just found: (haven't had the chance to verify its usefulness yet, though)

http://jlptstudy.com/

A few more questions:

Do you need 60% or greater on each section, or is it an average of the whole test? (which it sounds like from Zzonk's answer)

Is everything really multiple choice?

Finally, does anyone know a fun way to study online? I have so much free time at work, but get bored, distracted, and tired so easily when I try to bury myself in the grammar dictionary, or study the Kanji book. Most of my Japanese study these days is just going out on the weekends, talking to people at bars, etc. I'm tired of just getting by, saying the same things, though, and need to supplement that practice with something more academic, yet a little fun/interesting. Unfortunately, classes in my city after work during the week are not an option.

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Robertokun,

Everything is multiple choice. In one of the listenings you have to mark the wrong answers too, but that's because the tape gives the answers out one by one and there would be a massive giveaway pen rustle as everyone went to mark the correct one.

You could easily pass level three in Dec, even starting from scratch now. There's an exchange student at one of my high schools taking level 2 on Sun, and she's been here less than a year. She's probably going to pass, while I'm set to fail for the third time taking level 2, even after 5 years!

During my first year I decided to take level 3 instead of level 4, giving myself three months to study. I then contradicted tonsilitus which put me out for a month, and I narrowly failed. I was pretty unhappy about that!

Pass score is an average of the whole test.

Cool Teacher · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 4:08 am Post subject:

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Did level 2 again yesterday, for the third time. Rock hard, though the kanji was a little easier. The sound on the listening was so loud that everytime a woman or a kid spoke it distorted, but to say that's why I got everything wrong would just be making an excuse! Probably taking it again in Dec, fourth time lucky....?

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

wayne432 · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 255

Btw, when do results get shipped out again?

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Early in September 2009.