I've been dithering, but I've finally committed: I'm going to take the JLPT N3 this July.
The JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or 日本語能力試験) is the granddaddy of Japanese language tests. There are others, but this is the one people know about. They changed it from four levels to five just this last year, sending publishers and students alike into a panic.
The levels are something like this:
Passing N1 means you know as much Japanese as a native speaker who is way, WAY too into their language. N1, the Foreign Service exam, and a background check gets you an embassy job in Tokyo. The people who write the test do their best every year to make sure no one passes N1. Think of it as academically fluent.
Passing N2 means that you can work in the Japanese private sector with almost no trouble understanding what is going on around you. It means you know pretty much all the vocab and grammar that will come up in your average day, and can understand native speakers at a natural pace in both formal and informal settings. N2 means you can read a newspaper. It means you know the 2,000 kanji characters that define literacy in Japan. Think of it as advanced or functionally fluent.
N3 is the new level, created because of the giant gap between the old N3 and N2. means that you can understand most of what's going on around you, as long as the people around you are using simple Japanese. The N3 level is when you can get by in Japan, even if you can't keep up with the level of Japanese in your workplace. Think of it as proficient.
Passing N4 and N5 mean that you're on your way. N5 is after a beginner's run through. N4 is after an introductory level course. You can get by, but you will be confused. Think of these as beginner and intermediate.
To put the difficulty of these tests in context, I'm doing N3 after getting As in 300 level college Japanese. Granted, I had two years where I wasn't in any Japanese classes before I came here, and most of it escaped. However, there are grammar points, vocab, and characters that are not in any of my previous textbooks...at N3 level.
I have 11 weeks to prepare. I'm taking private lessons and have a legion of textbooks--some from home, some bought here. My instructor is going to hit me with a practice test next Thursday, to find my weak spots.
Having been a student all my life until now, I find it refreshing to have an academic goal again. I never thought I would miss tests, but I'm looking forward to the weekly quizes, reviews, and grammar epiphanies. But most of all, I'm looking forward to applying what I'm learning every day. There have been so many times when I hear a grammar point I just studied the next day in a classroom or in the staff room. It's practical in a way I haven't experienced until now.
Wish me luck. 頑張ります。
