Should I take the JLPT 4 or JLPT3 as my first JLPT?

[Andygakusei]

Hello everyone,

I just joined Japanese pod 101 today so please excuse me if this question has been answered already. I just started to study Japanese last December. I have already listened to the entire Pimsleur Japanese series (90x30 min lessons)and watched about half of the "Let's Learn Japanese/Yan and the Japanese People" educational TV series. I am currently studying Japanese via Manga de Japanese (webcam-based lessons with teachers in Tokyo) and classroom lessons at Japan Society of New York(about to finish levels 1/2 now.. hope to be done with 5/6 by the end of the year). In addition, I am self-studying the Japanese in Mangaland series and kanji characters(I hope to be familiar with the first 3 grades of Jouyu kanji/440 kanji by the end of the year). Of course, I'll also be listening to Jpod101 podcasts from now on and reading the PDF's. Can someone give me a good idea of what the differences are between JLPT 4 and JLPT 3 and which test I should go for first?

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu,

Andy

[Jessi]

Hello Andygakuseiさん,

Well, it sounds like you've done quite a bit of studying, so I would say JLPT level 3 looks to be about your level, but what I would really recommend is looking at some sample questions and see how easy/hard they are for you. The official JLPT site has a page here with sample questions for all levels - give those a look and hopefully you can gauge your level. You can also check out lots of JLPT practice questions on our site here. There are lots especially for levels 3 and 4, so level-wise they're perfect for you!

Looking at the levels in numbers, JLPT 4 contains 100 kanji and 800 vocabulary words, while JLPT 3 contains 300 kanji and 1500 vocabulary words.

Hope this helps!

[Taurus]

In addition to the official site, you can actually buy past JLPT papers, and conveniently for your purposes, levels 3 and 4 are combined in a single booklet (you can get them all over the internet, but if you get stuck, check out this thread). And since they come complete with CDs containing the audio sections, along with answers and pass marks and the weightings for each section, you could use them to test yourself under exam conditions to find out which level you should be aiming for.

[gerald_ford]

@Jessi, Taurus: thanks for the suggestions. It's good to rehash useful information from time to time. I missed the earlier thread, but I've seen some helpful resources here that will help a lot toward my Japanese studies.

[Andygakusei]

Minna-san,

Doumo arigatou gozaimasu. Thanks for all of the suggestions. Does anyone know when the deadline to sign up for this year's JLPT test is.. I will probably make my decision on whether to take the 3-kyu or 4-kyu at that time. Jessica-sensei and Taurus-san, I will definitely check out those webpages and get some JLPT materials to help me decide which test to go for. Ganbarimashou!

Andy

[Jessi]

I checked the official JLPT website but it doesn't look like an official deadline or test date has been announced yet. The test date is usually the first Sunday in December, but I think that the deadline varies from year to year, so make sure to check the site often so that you'll know when it's announced

[seifip]

As far ass I know the deadline will be somettime in December...

I am also currently deciding between JLPT 4 and JLPT 3

[untmdsprt]

For those wishing to take the JLPT and want to see where they're at in difficulty, this website has practice tests for all four levels:

http://jlpt.biz/

It's a good site, but I believe the webmaster needs a lesson or two in page design. IMO, it's too busy to find what you need.

[andrew930]

i know that i will be able to buy the JLPT app in Hirosaki in mid to end July. So I plan on registering for the test as soon as possible. I just finished Japanese I & II at college and I now live in Japan. I'm not sure if I can learn enough by December to get me at the level needed for JLPT 3. I will have finished Elementary Japanese IV by then at the college level. So four 3 semester hour courses. We start getting into kanji this month though, and i probably already know 50 kanji just off of seeing them and writing them all the time. I think I'm going to play it safe and take the JLPT 4.

Also, remember that the JLPT completely changes next year too....

[Andygakusei]

Thanks everyone for their input. I was looking at a website re: best books to learn Japanese with and the author of the webpage recommended getting the Kanzen Masutaa JLPT 3 prep book for grammar and the Unicom JLPT 3kyu prep book for listening. Anyone have any experiences with these books? I also picked up some old JLPT tests (2005, 2006 for the 3/4-kyu) on the cheap at the Book Off used bookstore here in NYC so will try to take those in a few months to gauge which test I should go for? I guess I will aim high for the JLPT 3 for now and see how things go.

[veganliz]

Hiyah,

I am studying for the JLPT 3 and have the Kanzen Master Series grammar book. It is awesome as a review book, with a small section on each grammar point as well as mini-quizzes. I feel it's definitely more suited for review or to let you know what you need to study and then practice, rather than initial learning. The reason is that there are bare minimum explanations (3-5 English words or so) for each grammar point. I usually find the topic in Kanzen, go look it up in a grammar book or website for a full explanation, then quiz myself using Kanzen again. As I learn each point, I give myself a sticker on that page (Easier than trying to work front to back.). It's been a great help and I would definitely recommend it!

-Liz

[Taurus]

I would also endorse the Kanzen Master JLPT 3 book. I used it after completing Minna no Nihongo 1 and 2, and so I'd say that I'd covered most of the content before - and I found its explanations perfectly adequate for those grammar points that I hadn't covered. By far the best thing about it is that it contains *loads* of sample sentences that you can stick into a flashcard program like Anki (although you'll have to translate them yourself).

[dme3o]

Hey all! Thanks for this thread! Very informative. I'm somewhat in the same boat as Andygakusei. I am currently enrolled in the Japan Society curriculum (currently in Level 3-ban) and do my own self study like Andygakusei utilizing whatever I can. Especially using JapanesePod101.com's resources daily.

I also wanted to try and see if I can get started with the JLPT tests and perhaps get one under my belt. I figure I'd try Level 4. But we shall see when summertime hits.

Thanks again for making this a sticky!

One question...so let's say you do get all the JLPT certs under your belt...what would that do for you? In other words, why are you guys taking it?

For me, at this moment, it's more of a motivational tool to keep me focused on studying Japanese within a given time frame. What about you guys? Would it be for work? School? A personal goal perhaps? Or all of the above? Just curious as to why one would take the JLPT.

And a big shout to Jessi-sensei! KONNICHIWA!!