how i’m preparing for jlpt n3

Firstly, thanks covid for the multiple cancellations!

I first took the JLPT N3 in December 2017 at a point where work was chaotic, I was dealing with big changes at home and I was super stressed. Needless to say I didn’t have time to study and I failed, but by a small margin. I then put off studying formally for anything and just continued with my twice monthly Japanese lessons, focussing on speaking. In the past year I’ve increased my focus on grammar and after realising I had seriously underprepared for the JLPT last time I’ll try again. Turns out in those three years I’ve slacked a lot, so I’m taking my preparation a lot more seriously this time!

In the UK the tests have all been cancelled this year so I’m targeting N3 a year from now, unless I can get to N2 level but given that I’ve just picked up Korean and French again… maybe not. So I’m thinking N3 in July 2022 (I should definitely be ready, if I can get a spot!) and N2 in December 2022. It doesn’t hurt to be a little ambitious!

So I have four areas of focus, and my rough plan is as follows;

Kanji – I am currently using WaniKani (I recently reset my level back to 1 as I needed a fresh start, but it’s going to take a while to get back up to the mid-20s – as I’m writing this I’m at level 8) so I am going to stick with that. It worked for me when I was using it regularly, and now there’s an app (Flaming Durtles) that I can use even when I’m on the move. When I’m getting ready for the exam itself I will be using the 総まとめN3 kanji book as review, and maybe 新刊全マスター for a final review. I don’t think that kanji was my worst score last time so I’m not going to stress over this section too much.

Vocabulary – for this, immersion and Anki decks! I’ve been able to pick up a lot of vocabulary from using native material (mainly drama) and I’ll probably supplement this with a deck tailored to N3 vocab so I don’t go too off track but the more Japanese I hear the better overall. Speaking of which…

Listening – again, immersion! I plan to use the 総まとめ listening book at some point but honestly I think that I benefit more from listening through things I enjoy like drama, podcasts and lessons with my Japanese teacher, plus conversation practice with her and my iTalki community tutor.

Grammar – I’ve recently finished reviewing all of the N3 grammar on Bunpro but now it’s a matter of using the SRS, remembering the grammar points and being able to use them in my writing and speaking, as well as recognising them when I read and listen. I’m also using the TRY! N3 book with my iTalki tutor and making sentences to use when I speak, and at some point when I’m feeling brave enough I’ll start writing parts of my blog in Japanese.

I don’t have a study schedule as such, as I expect a year is enough! However if I want to reach N2 I know I have a lot more work to do. Exams aren’t the best measure of someone’s ability and so if at any point I feel stressed by the JLPT I will fall back into purely fun Japanese. It’s not like I need it for work or study, I just like a challenge.