My JLPT Studies: JLPT N4 Results

2014年2月11日火曜日

JLPT N4 Results

I checked my JLPT N4 results yesterday online.

I passed.

The scoring is hard to explain. The Pass/Fail numbers are here.

N4 scores you from 0-180, with 0-120 in written, 0-60 in listening. You must score 90+ points to pass, with a minimum of 38 from written and 19 in listening. Miss any of those three - 90+ total, 38 in written, 19 in listening - and you fail. One of my friends failed N2 by a couple of points despite getting an outstanding listening score, because of missing a minimum on one of the three sections of that test.

My scores were:

Written: 85/120
Listening: 38/60
Total: 123/180

Vocabulary: A
Grammar: A
Listening: A

A is 67% or more of the answers in that section were correct, clearly independent of points since I didn't get 67% of the points on listening.

Overall, I'm happy. I didn't do as badly as it felt on 12/1. But it's clear I need more work, and I'm glad I've been studying every day for N3.

My Studies

I am studying for the JLPT N2 and may take the test in December 2018. I took the N4 in December 2013 and passed, and N3 in 2015 and passed that as well. I originally intended to take the N3 in December 2014, but I forgot to register in the (short) window in which registration is open. It's very frustrating.

I study 15-30 minutes per day, every day, without fail. Every day means every day, so I make sure I have daily contact with the language.

In addition, I try to use as much Japanese during the day, do quizzes and kanji practice intermittently during the day as time permits, and speak in Japanese whenever I get the chance.

My goal isn't to pass the JLPT per se, but to improve my Japanese skills. I'm using the JLPT as a gauge and a study guide. This helps me focus on one layer of Japanese skill at a time and try to master it.

I am also trying to learn all of the kanji in my kanji practice sets, both as a way to improve my JLPT results and to improve my Japanese overall.