I'm using some of those same lists. That is a great site. Most of the resources online(MLC, JLPT Study, JLPT Kanji Study) obviate the need to buy any of the textbooks. I would like to get some good suggestions for a listening drill book, though.

Also, I really like the idea of doing a little bit of a group or coaching thing with JLPT studying. I'm not sure that it needs to be face to face. I would like to do it over Skype maybe with some people from here. I think that would be very powerful to talk to someone once a week or so to check in on progress and study methods. It would also be useful to bounce questions off that person.

So, if anyone shooting for level 1 or has just already taken level 2 and would like to help me in this way, hit the e-mail link over to the left. I also would be open to doing the same for people shooting for 4-kyuu or 3-kyuu. I'm not a complete expert, but I'd probably be good enough for people focusing on 4/3.

Last edited by erlog (2008 July 19, 9:24 pm)

Most of the resources online(MLC, JLPT Study, JLPT Kanji Study) obviate the need to buy any of the textbooks

That's also what I thought in the beginning but if you're aiming for 2kyuu or 1kyuu, then online resources are definitely not enough. Actually, the most useful resources are probably not the ones you listed but the news sites like FNN or TBS news. I don't see how you can pass 2kyuu without using textbooks or taking classes. The most useful books are the Unicom and Kanzen Master series.

Last edited by Transparent_Aluminium (2008 July 20, 8:38 am)

I'm going to take 1kyuu this year. I studied but didn't have time to take 2kyuu last year and I brave myself to take the higher level this year.

I've been self studying and my test trial result wasn't too bad, though vocabs are really my weakness.

Hopefully Melbourne will still hold JLPT this year. It says "TBC" on the website

If you need to pass, you'll pass 4-kyuu easily where you are right now. If you're going to study, if you like a little bit more of a challenge, if you're emotionally okay with the thought that maybe you won't pass, then go for 3-kyuu.

Take the level check on this site: MLC Level Check. Remember that the percentage you need to pass the JLPT is something like 60%. So that means if you're doing more than okay on these level checks, ~80% then you'll probably be okay for the test.

Work hard on listening skills, though. From my experience with beginners, they do okay with all the written stuff but then they have zero listening comprehension. So I would drill that pretty hard.

chochajin wrote:

I'm not taking it this year. Currently I could pass 3kyu, but I don't care about 3kyu.
I wanna try and go for 2kyu next year either in July or in December.

But I have a question: I'm currently using the JLPT vocab decks that came with Anki but there are way too less vocabs in those decks!
Like for example there are only 400+ words for JLPT3+4 all together! And only 600+ for JLPT2.
Does anybody know where I can find a COMPLETE vocab list for all levels that I can import to anki??

Thanks a lot in advance

As Delina mentioned, http://www.jlptstudy.com is a pretty good site to base it off.  I'm creating Anki Decks for Level 4 and 3 at the moment, so I'll make them available once I've finished the decks.

Personally I'm going for "Thanks" level (ha ha, sorry, san-kyuu is just too good to pass up that type of joke) even though I've never taken any sort of formal training.  Will need to buckle down and really get my vocab sorted out, but it's a good challenge.  Been advised 4 just isn't worth ever taking, as it's too easy - particularly for those of us already living in Japan.

Sevenhelmets wrote:

Been advised 4 just isn't worth ever taking, as it's too easy - particularly for those of us already living in Japan.

Instead of reracking the test for 5 levels in 2009 they should just get rid of ４級, and insert another level between ２級 and ３級. I don't understand why anyone would spend the money to take an exam that only tests the absolute most basic Japanese you would learn in about a semester.

i was wondering how you go about signing up for the test in america.

i'll be outside of japan while they're accepting tests... so what should i do? how do i get the application in america? can i still sign up for a japanese test site?

Yeah, I'll be leaving on the 6th, so I suppose I can just do it before I leave.

Can you really get them from any bookstore? Or just big ones?

I'll try and get it this week in Osaka, and then mail it before I go. That's probably safer than trying to do it in America anyway.

Applications don't open up for us in the UK until August 16th, anyone else going to London this year?

I'll be aiming for 3kyuu.

I'm gonna also take the Lsat in December. It looks like that is the 6th, Saturday, and then it will be 2 Kyu in Seattle on the 7th.

And the week before that is finals (admittedly, probably nothing too difficult).

That first week of December is going to be a blast!

I sent my application off this week. I'm officially signed up for level 2 of the JLPT, and now begins the real studying. I'm doing a study diary on my blog that tracks my progress. It's gotten me to be a little more honest about how much I study.

Weird, are you still in 大阪? Is there a different process there?

Does anyone know what the application booklet looks like?  I went to the Aoyama bookstore in Roppongi to pick it up, and looked around in the "learn Japanese" section, and couldn't see anything that resembled an application booklet - nor anything that looked anything like it.

EDIT: Ok I found it.  Picked mine up from Kinokunia in Shinjuku (next to Takashimaya Times Square), they are really pushing them hard there......

Last edited by Sevenhelmets (2008 August 18, 2:28 am)