JLPT Level 4, Anyone?

[gryffindor]

Thanks guys for the insightful replies! I just borrowed a book titled 'Japanese in Mangaland' from the local library. I must say that the author does pretty good explanations in a simple way. I guess its good for any beginners out there.

[gryffindor]

I don't want to steer you wrong, but I wouldn't worry too much about level 4.
(A lot of people don't even bother to take it and go straight into level 3 or 2 if they feel confident enough.)
If you can understand the beginner podcasts without the english translations with little or no problems, you should do fine on the listening comprehension section of the exam.

Agree with you 100%. The test is too expensive to justify taking the level 4, which is quite basic.

Buy practice tests for L4 instead. You can find copies of last year's test for like $15 in most Japanese bookstores. You'll save like $40, which you can use to buy a new Japanese textbook.

By the way, are we expected to know the dictionary (casual) form of verbs in JLPT4 as well? Should we also know the full conjugations for negative, past and past negative as well?

[Bucko]

By the way, are we expected to know the dictionary (casual) form of verbs in JLPT4 as well? Should we also know the full conjugations for negative, past and past negative as well?

Of course, that's Japanese at it's most basic. You need to know all the tenses for both simple and formal forms, plus how to use the 'te' form.

[KeithH]

Just to let you know, the 2005 lvl 4 JLPT test is on sale at www.thejapanshop.com right now, today only. The 2003 and 2004 are shown as out of stock there, but I recently ordered them from www.sasugabooks.com.

By the way, I'm also signed up for the level 4 test this year. I'll be heading to Altanta in December.

[gaijin74]

By the way, are we expected to know the dictionary (casual) form of verbs in JLPT4 as well? Should we also know the full conjugations for negative, past and past negative as well?

I got last year's test from kinokuniya and a practice book. After going through these the answer is definately, Yes.

[rdesiree]

You can find plenty of JLPT4 test from the last years WITH the audio for the listening part at:
http://jlpt.info/Oriential/forumtopic.do?t_id=18

[Bucko]

Man where did you find that site!!! It's got it all on there, including audio! And to think, I bought last years test just today. Oh well.

[Belton]

It is a really good site. It could be useful for years to come.
Arigatou rdesiree-san!

However for the answers you have to register.
Free but slightly complex as feedback is in Japanese and I dislike sites that want so much info on me.
Then... it runs a points system for downloads. If you want to download you have to contribute to their forums. An interesting idea but in practice I wouldn't put the required effort in.

[rdesiree]

point system for downloads ? 分かりました... I didn't register because there were a lot of things that didn't make sense in my translation... なるほど
Contribute? 日本語で, you mean?? but I'm just studying for 4級 !

this is my first post WITH some japanese ... hope it's not all wrong

[Ulver_684]

You can find plenty of JLPT4 test from the last years WITH the audio for the listening part at:
http://jlpt.info/Oriential/forumtopic.do?t_id=18

rdesiree-san!

Thank you for a great link, this is the JLPT 4 level test I am now and I don't feel ashame to say it!

[racum]

I'm just arriving from my JLPT-4 test... I don't think I passed, I think I did only about 45%, but it's Ok, It's hobby anyway... I am in São Paulo and I'm surprised to see so many people applying the test! I didn't know japanese language is so popular over here!!

[cwthomas]

I think I did well on everything except listening. Mainly because with listening there is no time to go back an correct mistakes if you realize that you made one. My answer got off by one row and when I realized it I know that I gave up one of the questions because I had to fix about 5 of my answers. Agghhh! But overall I do feel good that I could actually hear and understand, even if I missed a few.

Vocab and writing was easy if you simply looked at the vocab/ kanji list on places like jlptstudy.com and made sure that you knew them.

Grammar, reading, somewhat challenging, but I've been taking practice tests which prepared me well.

So if you can pass without doing well in listening, I think I'm OK.

[hayley]

cwthomas, I took 4-kyuu when I was in high school and failed the listening component (I had a cold and blocked ears, doh) but still passed overall. So there is definitely still hope for you

[sashimidimsum7250]

I did 4-kyuu this year as well. My first ever attempt, so I didn't know what to expect. I went in feeling pretty relaxed. But once I sat there listening to the pre-test instructions, I started to tense up. It didn't help that the organizers seemed a bit disorganized : the test ended up finishing 1hr later than it was supposed to. I don't know if this is the norm, but it didn't leave me with a good impression of how things ran.

Anyhow, doing the sample tests is one thing, but actually doing them for real while the clock ticks down is quite another. I found myself rushing through the whole test (except the listening section which is paced for you), because I didn't think I'd have enough time to do it all. This allowed me to review the test a 2nd time for mistakes. So it makes me think that if you go at a normal pace, no time is really given to review your answers.

I found the whole experience pretty stressful. But at least now I know what to expect when I attempt 3-kyuu in 2008.

I think I safely passed. Except for the listening sections, I think I did pretty well.