Taking the JLPT N1 Exam
Having studied Japanese for more than 10 years, I took on the challenge of attempting the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験), or JLPT for short. The exam has five difficulty levels ranging from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest), and I attempted the N1 exam.
Test Registration
Test registration for the JLPT administered in the United States opens in mid-August each year. For N1, test slots at large population centers like New York City and Los Angeles fill somewhat quickly, though the centers at Seattle and Chicago had plenty of seats still available when I checked again on subsequent dates. I have heard that the lower N5/N4 levels fill extremely quickly for all sites, so it’s recommended to register early for these levels.
Exam Prep
My Japanese knowledge was based on a solid understanding of the Genki I and II textbooks. I also spent years practing speaking with native speakers (never felt comfortable speaking until maybe 2-3 years after starting Japanese study), consuming Japanese audiovisual content online (anime, comedy/variety shows, YouTube channels), and reading newspaper articles, rudimentary manga, and websites. Thus, while I would consider myself fluent in speaking and understanding everyday conversational Japanese at a high level, I had little exposure to the literary Japanese that is heavily tested on the N1 exam.
To address this, approximately 1.5 years prior to the exam I began reading Japanese books (see this post). I finished the first book of Ascendance of a Bookworm (本好きの下剋上) and started a couple of other books like the first in the Hyouka (氷菓) series and Sound! Euphonium (響け！ユーフォニウム). I also began to play games in Japanese, including Pokémon and Pikmin on the Nintendo Switch and Game Boy Advance, as well as a substantial amount of the Ace Attorney Trilogy (逆転裁判).
Six months prior to the exam I purchased the Shinkanzen Master (新完全マスター) N1 books to boost my vocabulary and grammar knowledge. I didn’t end up studying from these books that much, though I wish I did as they are very comprehensive.
Exam Center
I took the exam on a beautiful sunny day in Seattle (it really was too bad that I had to spend most of my day inside!). Having misread the start time for the exam, I arrived thirty minutes early, which gave me some time to stroll around campus.
My exam was held in 201 Gowen Hall. Folks were lined up even 45 minutes before the start time. A printed test voucher and form of ID are necessary for entry, and they recommend bringing #2/HB pencils (mechanical is probably okay too). A proctor carefully checked my voucher and ID before allowing me into the testing hall, which spaced students one spot apart. The proctors were attentive and made sure to set up a projected clock on the screen for timekeeping and adjust light levels in the exam hall. Other exam takers were respectful and quiet. Overall it was a good test site experience compared to some I have see on Reddit.
Post-Exam Thoughts
I was quite surprised by the difficulty of the Language Knowledge section and particularly the kanji, which is usually my strength. The grammar section felt okay and didn’t really have any forms that I had briefly studied, so I filled answers based on “feeling.” To be honest, the little preparation I had done before only yielded perhaps 1-2 more questions answered correctly.
While I had struggled with reading on previous practice tests, I was able to fully read almost all of the passages and make good educated guesses for all the questions. My reading practice with books and games helped tremendously in enabling me to read quickly and glean the most important details.
Utilizing answer keys posted online from Unojapano following the exam, I roughly estimated my score on each section as 29/44 (40/60) on Language Knowledge, 20/22 (54.5/60) on Reading, and 25/30 (50/60) on Listening for a total estimated raw score of 139/180. Unojapano’s calculator estimated my scaled score at 143/180, which is more than enough to pass (for N1, a scaled score of 19/60 on each section and a total scaled score of 100/180 is required to pass).
Next Steps
Exam results will be released in late January, and hopefully I can update my blog with some good news. There are a couple of things I learned from this experience:
- Re-review intermediate level Japanese and grammar: I felt like there are a couple of basic holes here and there in my understanding of intermediate Japanese which could be quickly solved by going through the Tobira textbook.
- Keep up and actively learn vocab: this exam revealed that I still need to acquire more vocabulary to be able to read and listen effectively.
- Continue consuming native Japanese content: the exam reinforced that those who are able to easily consume mainstream Japanese media are likely to pass the test without much preparation.
