I'm considering taking the kanji kentei soon (haven't decided what level yet). I've never taken it before, but I'm hoping to hear people's experience with electronic study tools. I know the Nintendo DS is popular, and I think there is something for the Wii. I don't have either of those, but I do have an iPhone and a PS3 (both US models). The iPhone has a lot of great apps, but I've never seen anything that is kanken specific.

I'm still depressed about choking in yesterday's JLPT-N1 reading section... Hoping to prepare better for the kanken.

Thanks.

There is a lot in the phone market though I don't think I have seen anything for the PS3. :<

The DS game rocks -- sadly you don't have a DS.:L

If you want to do well on it, get a DS.

I'm definitely willing to buy a DS if that's what people recommend. I'm just trying to do my homework before making the purchase.

Any flavor of DS I should prefer or avoid?

[Katsuo]

I've got the two iPhone apps below and like both of them. I bought them from the Japan app store, but don't know if they're available elsewhere. Both have finger-writing input.

• 漢検プチドリル5000 is a best-seller in Japan (900円). Covers four levels: 4, 3, J2, 2.

• 漢検２級に挑戦 (450円: they say it's an introductory low price) Level 2 only. This is a new app, so I've only used it a bit, but quite like it so far.

There is a spreadsheet for all kanji kentei levels with cross-references for RTK:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p...yZHw&hl=en

The original thread is here:
http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=2624

I like the DSi XL, but I have bad eyesight. The downside of the XL is that with the larger screens, although the type is bigger, it's also slightly more blurry, because it's the same pixels, only just BIGGER.

I've been using the KanKen DS2 while I wait for my DS3 to show up in the mail.

The only thing I *don't* like about KanKen 2 is that it will NOT recognize the number 5. It takes me 25-30 attempts to get it to recognize a 5. It keeps seeing it as a 9 or a 1. I've got no idea why. I always thought my Fivesmanship was perfect.

I lost my KanKen DS3, needa buy it again! That thing is a perfect study aid for kanken though. I recommend just doing the mock tests for the level your aiming to sit and putting all the stuff you got wrong into Anki until such time as you complete 100% of the mock tests and can pass with ~90%.

I did that for level 6 and managed to pass the real deal with 92%. Going to sit 5 next feb but not taking it so seriously anymore as I've kinda switched my focus but it's still a lot of fun

@mezbup So the other exercises are worthless then? Just do the mock exams? The thing with it not recognizing the number 5 is driving me nuts on KanKen DS2. -_-#

I wouldn't say they're useless, I mean it depends on how you want to study. Personally though, it's best to do the mock tests as that's exactly what the real test is like and the problems that come up are the same. So... there's not so much point in just doing the exercises I think.

As for the five i'm willing to bet it's your 書き方. I've never had a problem with it, at least on kanken DS3 anyways, although, there are one or two kanji that were always a mission to input for some reason. Actually, when I first started out I didn't realize that certain numbers had to be written a certain way for them to be recognised but they do...

Well, I start with a straight line across the top from R to L, then go down, then the little curvy thing, all in one movement.

Hell, it's the number 5. I draw it how it looks. Top to bottom, R to L, from the start point to the end point, with no breaks. Do they teach the little ones over there something different? Like L to R?

EDIT: I can't believe we're having this discussion.

EDIT2: Would you believe, that was it? You have to draw the top of the number five from L to R, then down to do the squiggle. I learned to just draw from R to L, all in one motion. Huh. Anyway, now I can get it to recognize my 外国人 5s.

If I'm not mistaken, when I was in school we learned two write 5 in 2 parts:
1. Vertical part and curved part Top to Bottom
2. Horizontal part Left to Right

My biggest frustrations with KKDS2's handwriting recognition are:
そ a bit of a pain. Pretty good success if I write it all as one stroke instead of starting off with a short slash
お a pain in the neck. The key is to write the bottom-left loop really big
胃 near impossible. I still haven't found a reliable way to get it to recognize this. It always comes up with 胄

mezbup Wrote:As for the five i'm willing to bet it's your 書き方. I've never had a problem with it, at least on kanken DS3 anyways, although, there are one or two kanji that were always a mission to input for some reason. Actually, when I first started out I didn't realize that certain numbers had to be written a certain way for them to be recognised but they do...

Interestingly enough, how numbers (arabic numerals) are written in Japan are standardized in much the same way that kanji are. Like kanji, stroke order and direction matter. It is standardized to such a far extent that I've been told that it is considered unprofessional to write numerals incorrectly.

For fun, try showing Japanese people various ways in which arabic numerals can be written, and then watch them react in a way comparable to a grammar nazi encountering a split infinitive or run-on sentence. (1 and 7 are highly recommended since they can be written in many ways, such as 1 as a straight line, then with a hook at the top, then with a hook at the top and a line at the bottom).