Last 07 of July 2024 (Sunday)

• I took N4 Exam solo, my first JLPT Exam at USC-TC Health Building. Different levels of the exam are held at different buildings of USC-TC. In health building, N4 and N3 were held that occupied multiple rooms and many floors. There was a lot of JLPT takers than I expected.
• The proctor, and her assistant, were patient, sweet, and understandable. There was a lot of us in one room (than what I had expected).

About the Exam

• It was difficult. I only understood like a few questions with sure answers — around three to ten of them. Thus, I do not expect to pass N4. It would be a miracle (maybe I’d witness such this early October).
• The difficulty showed how my preparations were lacking. I had limited time and I didn’t make good use of my time well. There are several reasons:
  • Multiple interests
  • Distractions
• There were three sections
  • Vocabulary: There are many kanji I’m unfamiliar with.
  • Grammar and Usage
  • Listening

My Strategy

• I bought an analog watch just for this exam because digital watches are not accepted. Besides that, these are the items I brought with me:
  • Pencil (1 & 2), Eraser, and Sharpener
    • Note: one-type of pencil was required. They didn’t say it prior. Glad I brought two types (1 & 2). I think it was 2 (HB), but I forgot since I’m writing this reflection at a later date.
  • Water bottle (Refillable)
  • Printed JLPT Voucher (Requirement)
  • Valid ID (Government Issued)
• Before the exam, I considered my preparation is lacking as I had limited time for N4 Level. So, I tweak my strategy based on that. Here are a few points:
  • Identify the number of questions and time allocated. And by specific time period, I should have completed a set of questions already. Never leave a blank item unanswered. Answer everything even if you do not know the answer.
  • Identify familiar root words to get the context and answer. This is important because there are a familiar root words that changed due to conjugation and tenses but are still understandable (though not accurately). It helps eliminate options.

What Do You Plan in the Future

• Regularly study Japanese together with Korean
• I will focus on a few things
  • Vocabulary, especially Kanji
  • Grammar & Sentences in different contexts
  • Listening
  • Practice tests
• On learning materials, I will focus on the following:
  • Complete the Genki I and II books
  • Visit Minna No Nihonggo book
  • Kanji Study (App)
  • May start with Shin Kanzen N3 or Tobira
• I’m eyeing to another level of Kanji (N3). That will be my new preparation towards. Thus, I will focus on both N4 and N3 content now despite possible failure in last test.