JLPT N3 Questions

Hello,

I'm going to take the N3 test next month. I'm feeling quite anxious about it. So as far as I know, it doesn't require any writing, right? Everything is multiple choices? No essay like in university? For those who already took and passed the level 3 test, how was it compared to what you learned in university? Harder or easier?

The Japanese program in my university isn't that big. There were usually about 10 students in high level classes and I was usually at the bottom 4-5. I estimate that my level is around 3 at max. I took some practice tests and I think I did while not too good, but not too awful, either. I have the most trouble with the reading portion, though. It takes me quite a bit of time to read the entire paragraph and answer the question. Even then, I might not understand it correctly. Listening, I'm not too bad, but not very good at it, either. I can probably recognize and guess what a kanji means, but writing isn't really my strong suit. I'm still trying to improve. Do I have to worry about this on the test at all?

I guess I'm just asking for some helpful advice and tips to make me feel more confident. Was there any part that you struggled with in particular, or even failed? How do you manage time with the reading section, besides being able to read fast? Did you encounter a very challenging question and somehow guessed the right answer?

Share them here! :D

All JLPT levels are multiple choice. No writing or speaking involved.

The issue is time management. In my experience you donft get time to think about the right answer for a long time. Either you know the answer right away. Or you should move to the next. My strategy was if I didnft know the answer right away, you normally at least have a guess which two it could possibly be. Typical for multiple choice there are normally two that are quite clearly incorrect and two that seem both kind of correct. But obviously only one is really correct.

So I at least crossed out the other two. But then went onto the next question. At the end of the exam,( or at some point during it) if I had time I would read the question again and try to choose the right answer. If I didnft have the time I would randomly pick one of my two candidate answers and complete the answer card accordingly.

In the reading part you need to read the questions first. Look for keywords in question and text. But yes, the reading part takes a lot of time.

For me personally JLPT was always a race against the clock (donft forget to bring one. Mobile isnft allowed). This obviously depends on your Japanese level vs test. Eg I did a few years ago TOEIC (because my company made me do it). I went in with 0 prep and all my Japanese colleagues had commented before that time was so limited. So I rushed through as I knew from JLPT and ended up more than 30 min early.
If youfd do JLPT 4 that would be probably the same for you. For doing JLPT my advise is to do a practice test in the actual conditions. Close your door, switch off phone set your clock and start from beginning to end in one go. You will see that 3 h (or how long the test is) is a very long time to be all the time super concentrated.

Good luck!

I took the JLPT almost 20 years ago, but taking a quick glance at the website, it is still all multiple choice, so you don't have to worry about writing or composition.

There are grammar/vocab, reading, and listening portions. You won't need to speak Japanese on the test either.

Unless you have to have passed N3 in order to qualify for some special situation you hope to apply for, I would encourage you to look at the test simply as a chance to measure your progress in learning Japanese, not an important test like in University where failure can have bad consequences and all the stress that can create.

Whether you pass or fail N3 is not going to change the fact of what your current Japanese ability actually is. Making a stupid mistake that causes you to just barely miss passing is not going to change the fact of how much Japanese you know. So just take the test with a cool head and a calm feeling.

When you get to the test center before the test and see other test takers hunched over books cramming right up to the last minute, don't freak out. Cram if it makes you feel better, but really, at that point you either know enough to pass N3 or you don't.

During each timed section of the test, if you are taking the test in a group, there will be people who finish unbelievably fast. Don't worry about them, just figure they should have been taking the N2 and are wasting their time taking the N3. The test gives you enough time to pass N3 if your Japanese ability is at that level. If you can't finish the reading sections in time, don't worry, that just means you aren't at N3 level yet. Or you are, but your abilities just don't reflect well in an artificial test environment.

I hope I do not sound like I am belittling your concerns, because I do understand the natural desire to pass and concern about not passing, and maybe there are consequences to not passing for you that I am not aware of, which makes it a whole different issue. But aside from that possibility, passing the N3 is not something to be anxious about. If you don't pass it now, you probably will the next time.

Think of it this way, would you be happy actually having sub N3 ability, but you managed to pass N3 because you made some lucky guesses on multiple choice questions?

Keep studying because you want to keep learning more Japanese, and you'll eventually be at N1 level whether you take the test or not.

Good luck.

I'm taking the test today, in a few hours, and I feel like it's the end of the world.
I'm not confident, but there's no backing out now. I probably should have studied more, yep.

Argh! This is so nerve wrecking! XD

Taking JLPT exam is too daunting for me but I have to try and start with N5 by next year.