JLPT seems like a sensible thing to do, for many reasons - it's also something I'd like to use as a learning goal.

My question, has anyone here succeeded in doing JLPT 3 after a year of study, skipping JLPT 4 and 5?

I've started in November, I already knew some basic japanese back then, but have studied almost every day since.
At the current rate I'll be done with RTK1 at the end of April.

I'm going through Jpod101, Beginner Season1 (it has 170 lessons...), have done half of that, and half of Tae Kim.
I repeat many lessons of these sources, to memorize all that vocab and grammar.

I have tried a JLPT5 sample test online and managed to successfully finsish it, with a little luck and the minimum required score.
I tried JLPT4 and could understand some of it, a couple of questions were no problem to my surprise, some I couldn't yet understand because I lacked the required vocab to do so.

I'm really ambitious about japanese right now, I'd like to keep my motivation up and do something really challenging, so that's why I was wondering if it was realistic to pass JLPT 3 in December this year, if I keep studying 4-5 hours a day, like I do now... has anyone done that?

I have heard that the JLPT surprised some as it was a bit harder than they initially thought, mainly because of the added time pressure. Has that been your experience as well.

I'm thankful for any comment on this!

Just judging by a mock exam (for N2):
Yes, the time pressure is the worst, especially since the reading questions were at the end (don't know if this is the case on the real test). You can get comfortable with this through timed mock exam.

As far as vocab goes, you could use Nayr's Core 5000 (or something similar). You have a little over 8 months before the exam, so if you add 20 per day, you should finish in time. Of course, this may or may not prepare you for N3 specifically, though I think it's likely that it will over prepare you (with just Core 6k, the regular vocab section of the N2 was easy).

As for grammar... I'm still working on that; what you're doing is a good start though. I suggest doing the occasional reading exercise with an NHK Easy article or something: read it, then answer some basic questions about it (if you have a tutor, make use of them for this; otherwise it might be good to ask here) possibly the most important question to answer is "What was the passage about?", since that's an entire section of the test, but this might be a good exercise to do with a tutor (choose the selection and read it before your lesson and then go over it during part of the lesson).
As for other grammar resources, there's IMABI and 'Dictionary of (Basic/Intermediate/Advanced) Japanese Grammar' (I highly recommend both; the latter as a reference). What you're using is good, this is for when you get past Tae Kim's Guide.

Start listening practice now. While it's arguably the easiest part of the test (the passages aren't very complicated and the questions are basic (like "what will this person do after this?" when that's exactly what was being discussed in the passage)), it comes after you've already spent over an hour and a half on the reading portion and you only get to listen to each passage once (and you have to read the multiple choice answers to choose the best one). If you practice listening regularly (using Jpod101 and/or subs2srs), this could become the easiest part of the test instead of one of the harder parts.
And once again, mock exams could save you: try doing the full mock exam in the time allotted one after the other, with only a short break between reading and listening (enough for a drink and bathroom break); this will prepare you for the actual test better than regular study will.

I know I just finished saying this, but I want to make it it's own point: Do Mock Exams. It doesn't matter how much vocab or grammar knowledge you have if you don't have an idea of what the actual test is like; this is the same for all standardized tests. When I first did the mock exam for N2, I did pretty well on the first section (basic vocab knowledge) and okay on the 'choose the correct kanji for this word', but did horribly on almost everything else because of the kind of questions they were (fill in the blank, choose the best usage, synonymous phrases, etc).
This, along with the time pressure, is what surprises people. It's possibly the easiest thing to prepare for (just do a couple mock exams) and it will make a huge difference. On this kind of test, your test taking ability is nearly as important as your knowledge of the subject.

TL;DR
Yes, you can aim for N3 this year if you study hard.

If you study diligently and somewhat efficiently it should be doable given the right kind of environment and motivation. E.g. I'd conjecture that it's important to make sure that your studies are well directed, and that you get realistic and regular feedback about your progress (which is where N5/N4/N3 etc. might come in).

Personally, I think that it makes sense to spend a lot of effort initially in order to quickly reach some kind of workable level of Japanese. However, please also consider that learning Japanese is more like a marathon than a short race, so expending all your energy in the beginning and then quitting due to a loss of motivation would clearly be suboptimal. To me it feels like there's a tendency on this forum (and generally online) to make learning Japanese into a race. In the end though, it really doesn't matter too much if it took you 2 or 3 years to reach some JLPT level... especially because circumstances will vary widely between different people, so the numbers aren't as easily comparable as they are often made to be.

Having never taken JLPT and having become, well, not fluent but fully operational in Japanese in 1.5 years ... Sure. But do you want to? I basically had to give up *everything* save my job and girlfriend for one year to put in the sort of obscene hours required, and I live in Japan where I get several hours of listening and speaking practice thrown in for free.

Since I had some experience with Japanese before, when I resumed my studies in April 2012, I decided to go straight for N2. I failed by about 13 points. After another two tries, I finally passed N2, and by a healthy margin. Having that high bar forced me to push myself almost every day closer to my goal.

IMO, it doesn't matter whether you pass or not if prepping for the exam motivates you to consume mass quantities of Japanese. If you fail, so what? You'll have learned a lot, and you'll get a decent measure of your progress to date. And you can always take the test again.

I thought I'd jump in since I took (and passed) N4 last year. It was my first time taking the JLPT. I'll pass along my thoughts on the exam first, then answer your specific question.

I think you're on the right track for several reasons.

The first is that I think you're acknowledging one of hardest problems of the JLPT upfront: it's only offered once (or twice, depending on where you live) a year, it's pass/fail, and you have to decide which level to take well in advance. So this creates some wierd pressures on the student.

The second is that you're actually taking timed practice exams.

In my case, I received feedback from multiple people that N4 would be "too easy" for me, so that I should aim for "at least" N3. One of the best decisions I made regarding JLPT was, the summer before the exam I bought the official N5 and N4 JLPT practice exams. One weekend I took the N5, which was, in fact, too easy for me. The next weekend I took the N4 and it decimated me. Honestly, I was shocked at how much difference there was between the levels. And I was also shocked that so many people (including teachers and friends who had passed N3 and N2) were so wrong in assessing my level as "easily above N4". I suppose that this is because I lived in Japan for a while and am good with speaking. But still. The lesson for me was that my performance on the practice exam should trump whatever people tell you.

I think it's also worth pointing out something that I only learned after I took the test: the JLPT publish their pass rates. I'm surprised at how low the pass rates are, especially given that you only need to get about half of the questions right to pass. I took the N4 in Japan and it looks like only 1/3 of the people who took it with me passed it. Wow.

In terms of exam prep, besides using anki, the best advice I got was to take online classes at the Japan Online Institute (JOI). Someone on this forum recommended their exam prep classes to me in December, and it helped a lot. I didn't pass by much, and I think that those classes definitely helped. Outside of exam-prep classes they also offer grammar and vocab classes that are grouped by JLPT level. I continue to take classes there to this day.

I also want to point out one of the big limitations of the JLPT: It tests language knowledge (vocab, grammar), reading and listening. It doesn't test writing or speaking. So if you make the JLPT the overriding focus of your studies, you might neglect those two language skills. Which might be OK for you, but might not. It's just something worth pointing out.

So to get to my answer to your question. I'm sure it's possible. It might or might not be worth it. If you have an ambitious JLPT goal I recommend working with a teacher who has experience with the JLPT sooner rather than later.

hey again,

sholum,
thanks for your elaborate post!
I already started Nayr's Core, seems a bit more difficult than Core, I'm working with both.
As for Grammar, reading NKH easy sound reasonable, so do those those grammar resources you mentioned. Once I'm done with TaeKim, I'll be sure to check some of it out.

For listening I'm using Jpod10 everyday, and instead of listening to the entire lesson, I'll just go through the same dialogues again and again until I understand most what's being said.
They also have some JLPT prep material, which won't hurt looking into.

Mocking exams, absolutely. I believe the main reason I completed my drivers license with a high score was that I did these kind of test exams over and over again. Most of the other students didn't and just learned with their book, pretty much all of them failed. So even from my personal experience this makes a lot of sense. Thanks again!

hyvel,
thanks - I agree learning japanese shouldn't necessarily be made into a race. however, it being one of the hardest languages to learn, I think it makes a lot of sense to go full speed for the first year or 1,5 years. My goal is to reach at least a somehwat funcional level in that time frame. From that point I'd agree, it's more like a marathon, and it also doesn't matter so much how you fast you get to the next level, at least not as much.
However I think that if I approached learning japanese like a marathon from the beginning, it could also be frustrated. Imagine learning japanese 1x a week for an hour or two or so. It would take years until you get anywhere at all with it. So I think fast in the beginning, and more slowly but steadily later will work well for me.
JLPT 3 in December would just be suitable motivation for me right now, to stay with the process.

afterglowefx,
well, yeah I guess I want, because like I mentioned in the reply above, otherwise I'm afraid it would require too long to get to a sensible level of japanese. I'll move to japan before that, so I'll also have the benefit of required listening and speaking practice.

gaiaslastlaugh,
I agree with you, the only minor problem I see with that is that JLPT3 would probably be a nice asset to have when applying for certain positions. So it might make a difference if one passes or not from that point of view.
Nice one, going for JLPT2 right away. I think setting the bar to JLPT3 is high enough, I don't think I'd be able to take JLPT 2 at all by the end of the year. JLPT3 seems within my graps if I keep studying at this pace.

ariariari,
thanks for that extensive post!
I was also a little surprised by how much harder N4 was compared to N5.
What's also weird is that by one standard in particular, namely Kanji I'm already I'm probably way beyond the standard for N5 or N4, but it terms of vocab N4 is still too difficult, let alone N3.
That because I'm like most other not practicing according to assumed JLPT standards, but having so much focus on the Kanji upfront. I hope I'll see the benefits once I'm done with it and I hope it will accelerate my progress in other areas.
Thanks for mentioning JOI, I'll look into it.

The fact the JLPT doesn't test productive skills (writing and speaking) is an advantage for me, because I'm more focussed on receptive skills (reading and listening) as I believe these are much much more important in the beginning. You can get around being able to understand a lot but talking (and especially writing) little.
Thanks again for your post, you pointed out some great info!

Thank you all for your thoughts on this!

@maxwell777 - to be clear, I wasn't advocating that you go for JLPT2 within a year. I'd never wish that on anyone ;-) I was trying to encourage you to take whatever level of the JLPT you want to take.

As for the time commitment mentioned by @afterglowex - yep, it's huge. I'm still aiming for n1 level after three+ years of practicing anywhere from two to four hours a day. If I had fewer responsibilities, I'd probably pour more time into it. Having a life is overrated. If you want it, you'll do what it takes to get it. It certainly seems like you want it.

maxwell777 Wrote:The fact the JLPT doesn't test productive skills (writing and speaking) is an advantage for me, because I'm more focussed on receptive skills (reading and listening) as I believe these are much much more important in the beginning. You can get around being able to understand a lot but talking (and especially writing) little.

It's definitely a dance, and you will likely shift the amount of time you spend on each side as your goals with the language fluctuate. In my case, I've put a lot of emphasis on speaking and live lessons for the past year and a half, and am now starting to shift back more to recognition. I'm trying to fill in the holes in my listening, and also spending more time modeling native spoken Japanese as opposed to just making shit up. (Ultimately, I think Krashen is right: Good output requires lots of inputs.)

In other words, keep your plan flexible, and vary it as you need based on your current interests and needs.

Best of luck!

maxwell777 Wrote:ariariari,
thanks for that extensive post!
I was also a little surprised by how much harder N4 was compared to N5.
What's also weird is that by one standard in particular, namely Kanji I'm already I'm probably way beyond the standard for N5 or N4, but it terms of vocab N4 is still too difficult, let alone N3.
That because I'm like most other not practicing according to assumed JLPT standards, but having so much focus on the Kanji upfront. I hope I'll see the benefits once I'm done with it and I hope it will accelerate my progress in other areas.
Thanks for mentioning JOI, I'll look into it.
...

My pleasure.

BTW, following up on what you wrote. I found the N4 vocab to be a killer. That being said, I did get an "A" on that section - it wound up being the only part of the test that I found easy. I'm pretty sure that I have anki to thank for that.

I only learned this recently, but JOI also has dedicated N4 and N3 "combined kanji/vocab" classes. You might want to look into them. I only took one, but it was very good. They really emphasize and drill particular readings of kanji, give you relevant vocab, and then give you sample JLPT questions.

In some sense the JLPT is just like any other standardized test - the more you drill exactly the kind of questions they ask with a teacher, the easier it will be on test day.

Good luck! You have a very ambitious goal.

It's possible with the right resources. Check out a site called fluentU, it's freakin awesome

[RawToast]

maxwell777 Wrote:I have tried a JLPT5 sample test online and managed to successfully finish it, with a little luck and the minimum required score.
I tried JLPT4 and could understand some of it, a couple of questions were no problem to my surprise, some I couldn't yet understand because I lacked the required vocab to do so.

To give you some context. A month before I took N5, I barely passed the online test and one mock exam with a similar score. One month later I passed with strong scores in 2 of the 3 sections, I struggled with the "fill in the blank" section.

Going from that, I would say you are trying to jump from ~N5 to N3 in ~9 months -- which is entirely possible.

I'll tell you were I am with the N3. I plan on taking the N3 this summer and expect to squeeze through. I just took the N4 online test and scored 100% in all the sections, but didn't try the listening part (as I can't do that section at work!). I manged 4/5 in the vocab (with 1 'guesstimate') for the N3 and sucked completely at the grammar.

I think your experience with the N4 test matches mine at the N3 level. At your current pace, I think you should be able to get to a solid N4 level by the summer (try completing a mock test in the summer). That will give you 6 months to prepare for the N3, which is enough time to work though a textbook like Tobira, an N3 workbook, and complete many Anki reviews!

sorry for the late reply, been busy studing japanese

gaiaslastlaugh,

Oh, I think I got you right. A recommendation to go straight for JLPT2 after one year wouldn't be nice at all
Thanks for the tip, yeah I can see how balance is important, and how I'll probably shift back and forth between language skills.
So you're preparing for JLPT1 after 3+ years of daily practice? Great, now I know what I can look forward to :p
I should have started this when I was 18, but so what, I'll do it now. I guess others had that same thought too.

ariariari,
thanks for the info. So you prepared for the N4 vocab using JOI in the first place? I'll look into it. Yes, drilling the exam situation beforehand with similar situation sounds very sensible. I'll definitely do that.

RawToast,
Thank you for sharing your experience! Well, it is an ambitious goal, but I'm really crazy about japanese right now so it is fuel for my motivation. Tobira, got it, I'll check that one out.

To all of you - in general, what material did you use to prepare for the test?

Besides RTK1 (at 1400 now)
I'm doing
- Core2k and Nayr's Core
- JLPT 3-5 Anki Decks (finished N5 now)
- Jpod101 (They also have a JLPT section, which I'm not entirely sure about)

I'm also using the free JLPT material from the official website.
And for N3 I'm looking at "Sou Matome".

If anyone has any nuggets of gold to share as far as JLPT preperation is concerned, I'm thankful for any tips!

Possibly not fully relevant to the original poster's question, since I took the JLPT back before the new re-leveling, so I'm not totally familiar with the current split.

I only learned about the JLPT after having lived in Japan a little over a year (starting from zero Japanese at the beginning), and was able to pass Level 3 tests fairly easily by then, so I made my goal the Level 2 test, which I took after 2 years in Japan (all self-study). Then another year and I passed the Level 1 test.

This was all before online resources, so my study plan was quite different from what people do these days:

1. Kanji cards - of course now that there are apps and tons of other tools, there are more choices, but for me, I used the old Hadamitzsky & Spahn book of Jouyou kanji, and just went through it beginning to end, making simple cards with compounds on the back. I wish I'd known about Heisig then, but this was effective for me at the time

2. Reading kids' newspapers, like Asahi Shougakusei Shinbun. Really helped a lot for preparing for the reading sections, as you'll need quite a bit of speed to complete the tests. These days some good choices are the 天声人語 short columns (http://www.asahi.com/paper/column.html), which have been around for 100+ years, and also the 社説 (editorial) sections of newspapers. One great resource is actually all on a single page: http://astand.asahi.com/column/editorial/

3. JLPT-specific grammar books. There are a ton of these now, but back then there was basically one standard one for each level, and I used them to great effect, always learning a couple of complete example sentences for each grammar point, including translation.

4. Practice tests, including the listening. The Japan Foundation Library in my hometown had good resources for this, with tests going back several years. This is really the only way to gauge where you're at as you progress. I found it extremely accurate in predicting my actual score.

Best of luck!

I did JLPT back when the current JLPT3 didn't exist, but I skipped 4 & 3 and went straight to JLPT2 after 1 year. I think if I recall correctly I needed 55% or 60% to pass and I got 50%. Given I spent the first 6 months of that just doing RTK and then 6 months studying my ass off for the JLPT doing JLPT3 in 1 year should be easy if you're motivated and using good methods. Personally I wouldn't bother with level 5, 4 or 3 because only 1, 2 really mean anything.

In case it's not clear to anyone, the new JLPT levels relate to the old as such:
N5 - N4
N4 - N3
N3 - between N3 and N2
N2 - N2
N1 - N1

I think there were a few other slight changes, but the whole point of the new leveling system was to make the transition from the 'beginner' levels to the 'advanced' levels less dramatic. The only thing that really changed was that they added a new intermediate level (the new N3).
http://www.jlpt.jp/e/faq/index.html

Having said that, aiming for the new N3 will require more work than the old N3, but I'd still say it's reasonable in a year, if you study for it specifically. I already gave my other advice.

The old levels were 1級, 2級, 3級, 4級. The new levels have the N prefix and are convert like sholum said:

1級 → N1
2級 → N2
3級 → N4
4級 → N5

N3 is brand new but is more than twice as much content as 3級/N4.

I answered correctly all the question in N2 sample test, but made quite a bit mistakes in N3. So I think you should aim straight for the highest N1 not to slow down your progress with other Ns, if you want it .