My Experience with the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JPLT)

Whew – that was difficult! As a retiree having taken my first Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), I’m wondering, what was I thinking? I didn’t love studying when I was in school so why take such a difficult test now?

By the way, the JPLT is a test to evaluate and certify the Japanese proficiency of non-native speakers. Outside of Japan, the test is administered by the Japan Foundation and consists of language, reading and listening.

Why did I want to take the JPLT test?

My motivation was to improve my Japanese in preparation for going to Japan the following year with my son, Daniel, for his PhD graduation gift. Daniel’s college Quizbowl group won the best in the U.S. his final year in undergrad, so, as you can imagine, he is great to have on your bar trivia team.  But, as someone who has a poor memory, I often feel lacking compared to him.

Having been a camp counselor in Japan at the Kobe YMCA Yoshima camp 40 years prior, but having forgotten most of the Japanese I learned, I figured I could take a class and pick up enough Japanese phrases to impress him.  That was back in 2020. With the pandemic, we pushed the trip back several times and now are going in 2023. With the delay, I was able to study Japanese for a couple of years, however, the local County class (taught by an amazing teacher, Jennifer Swanson) wasn’t overly strenuous, nor did I take it too seriously. So, given the casual way I had approached learning Japanese, I figured that studying for the test could jumpstart my learning process and provide me with the discipline I needed to truly learn and memorize Japanese grammar, kanji, and vocabulary.  And, impress my son!

Signup

In the U.S., the test is only offered once a year (in December). On August 19, the day to register for the December 4 test, I decided that I would register mid-day after I finished some other things I had going on. Big mistake! At around noon, I got online to register and found that the very close Washington DC location was already completely filled for the N5 (beginner) level test. Ugh! Luckily, I was able to sign up for the Philadelphia location.

Preparing for the Test

In September, I started preparing for the test in earnest by studying about an hour at a time for at least 5 days per week. I took a practice test and discovered I had forgotten a lot of the grammar I had learned in class. Plus, I hadn’t really cared about writing Kanji so I needed to start memorizing it. Unlike another student in my class, I couldn’t “see” the kanji in my mind. And, as I said before, I’m not good at memorizing. So, I started focusing on a word at a time, linking it with an English word or another Japanese word that it resembled and that I could remember.

I also studied lists of N5 Kanji and vocabulary words until I knew them. I used several online sources including: JPLT Sensei, Japanese Test4you, JPLT Sample tests, JPLT N5 Practice Test book, and the JLPT 5 Kanji book. Youtube was especially helpful for reviewing grammar. When walking to and from the gym (about a mile each way), I would pick a specific N5 grammar point and listen to a youtube video about it. I found Youtube “Tokuni Andy” and “Ammo Risa” to be especially helpful.  While the Duolingo app was engaging, it wasn’t specifically focused on the JPLT test and so not that useful. Also, I tried several other phone apps, but didn’t find any of them interactive enough to capture my attention for long.

With the increased focus and time spent on studying, I was improving on the practice tests for all but the listening. Finally, in late November, my listening scores also started to improve. Then, in early December, as required, I obtained number 2 pencils to fill in the test bubble charts, borrowed an old style watch from my mom since digital devices are not allowed, and prepared a water bottle without the label (to stop cheating).

The Test!

Finally December 4 - the day of the test – arrived! I got to the test site early and was pleased to find lots of signage and staff to direct me to registration and my classroom. Masks were highly recommended, but I found that with my glasses, my mask was fogging so I was glad the proctor didn’t make me wear it. Timeframes were strictly adhered to - the N5 vocabulary section was 20 minutes, the grammar and reading section was 40 minutes, and the listening section was 30 minutes. While only 1.5 hours total testing time, with the rule explanation before each section and breaks in between, it stretched out to about 3 hours. I found that my brain was exhausted by the time the last section – the listening section – started. As the Japanese speech filled the classroom, I realized I missed the first exercise completely. And, the second also. Finally, I answered one question I thought I knew. How discouraging though! I left the classroom thinking I failed the listening section which meant I failed the entire test.

My Results

My results email didn’t arrive until the 3rd week in January. I was happy and proud to see I passed! As I expected, I did fine on the language knowledge sections with 59% correct (31% required to pass), but I was surprised to see I got 61% correct (31% required to pass) on the listening section. It was a real sense of accomplishment to have studied for the exam and to pass it. And, with the studying, my Japanese has really improved.

While my initial goal was to impress my son on our upcoming trip to Japan, the rewards have been so much greater. During this journey, I made several Japanese friends, including a Japanese person living temporary in the States who I will visit in Japan. I rekindled my interest in Japanese language and become part of a community of people, Study Japanese in Arlington (SJA), who are interested in all things Japanese. Now, my goal for this year is to pass the N4 exam. Wish me luck!

がんばります!