Japanese Lanuage Proficiency Exam

[Anthony]

Ok, here's another question: I'm interested in Taking the JLPE here in the US (so I can become certified) and was wondering what the level 2 exam consists of? I've already taken level 4 and 3 in Japan, but they were unofficial and required by my university. For those of you that can remember, how intensive is this exam? About how many kanji am I required to know? How would you rate the listening comprehension part of the exam? What about vocabulary? I'd just like to get a general idea of how the exam is so that I may prepare myself in the future. Any bit of information would be extremely useful.

thanks,
Anthony

[Anonymous]

You can have little info on this page:

http://www.aiej.or.jp/ks/kse_top.html

Level 4 requires about 100 kanji and 800 words
Level 3, 300 kanji and 1500 words
Level 2, 1000 kanji and 6000 words
Level 1, 2000 kanji and 10'000 words

There is a big gap between level 3 and 2 ...

There are old exam samples in the bookstores (Kinokuniya in Shinjuku, for example).

good luck !

H.

[Anthony]

thanks for the info hhannahh. Wow, that is a huge gap between level 3 and 2. I guess I have my work cut out for me. By the way, I live in the US....do you know if the Kinokuniya stores in NY or California have the sample exams available for purchase?

Anthony

[Anonymous]

Anthony, if your email address is indicative of where you live, this place is a little closer:

Asahiya Bookstore
Chicago (Illinois)
100 E. Algonquin Rd., Suite 106, Arlington Hts., IL 60005
Tel:(847)228-9851

and the call might cost you less. Their website is www.asahiyausa.com.

I bought a copy of last year's exam when I was in Kyoto on a study tour earlier this summer, so let me know if you are having problems finding it. ISBN is 4-89358-506-1 for the book with levels 1 and 2 (includes CDs). ISBN for levels 3 and 4 is 4-89358-507-X.

Good resource site for study guides is http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/DownloadFrame.htm.

がんばって　ください！

[Kevin]

Anthony,

I am not certain they deliver to America, but amazon.co.jp has loads of books on the test. Basically, ALC publishes a separate book on each section of the test, as well as collections of old tests.

Unfortunately, you will need a Japanese OS or entry system to put in 日本語能力試験。

Or just try to cut and paste that and see what happens.

Good luck.