How to prepare properly and ace the JLPT exam
How to properly prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency test (All levels)
Hey there student of Japanese, we have a very enlightening lesson for you today. If you are thinking about taking the JLPT, Japanese Language Proficiency Test, at any level, and would like to get some killer tips on how to prepare best for such an endeavour, we have the answer.
In today’s lesson, we are going to be giving you all of our best preparation tips along with a bit of a routine / schedule to get you feeling good about the upcoming challenge.
Tests can be scary, especially when they are in Japanese, so we want to ensure that you cast aside those fears and doubts. We are going to now break down step by step the best preparation techniques for you guys so make sure you are taking notes. Class is in session.
Setting up your study routine
Essentially there are 5 main parts to the test: vocab, kanji, grammar, reading and listening. It is best to do them in that order for efficiency. Without knowing all of the kanji vocab and grammar, listening and reading will be very hard for you so that’s why its best to take down the vocab and kanji straight away.
It can be quite monotonous to do it in this way as you could be tempted to jump into a bit of everything. This is a bad idea, read on and we will give you some really good ways to keep things fresh and interesting.
Start by setting aside 1 – 2 hours per day to dedicate to your Japanese studies. No phones (If you can help it), no distractions, just you and your learning resources. Doing this late at night or early in the morning can be a really good time. Having one day off a week is also a really good idea to give yourself a break and a small mental breather.
If you are quite close to the test you can always up the frequency to twice a day to make sure you nail the test.
How to work on your vocabulary for the JLPT
So, like we said, it’s really important to nail the vocab first. This is because when it comes to learning the other aspects you are going to be able to move through the different elements faster. You should start by getting a JLPT vocab list, either online or from a specific JLPT book, and word through that daily.
Ensure that you are using anki systems as well as offline physical flashcards to view daily. If you can also couple that up with the Kanji learning, that will really help with the next phase.
How to work on your Kanji for the JLPT
Now we move onto the kanji, this is extremely important when it comes to reading too as it will also help increase speed in that area. You should follow a similar process as the vocab and use flash cards / anki to get the job done.
If you don’t have a big imagination, it certainly can be draining to come up with stories to keep remembering the kanji. Try to focus on the radicals and take it one step at a time.