(no subject)

[owlectomy]

Scored 56% on kanji/vocab section of the JLPT level 1 from 2002 which I got via interlibrary loan; which is about what I expected. Passing is 80%. I'm going to order some test-prep stuff from amazon.jp eventually, to figure out whether this is the kind of test that I can study for or not. The test always seemed tilted towards a certain style of formal essay Japanese, and if I have to read such things in order to pass the test--no thanks.

I have my doubts about the JLPT; I don't know whether it's true that it keeps getting renormed to limit the number of foreigners who are able to use their Japanese skills to get visas, but it's true that there's a significant difficulty difference if you looks at tests from ten years apart. And if I do take the test, it will be more to prove something to myself than because it's useful in any way.

Either way I will be getting to New York, for this or the kanji kentei. Especially having read this... yuuuum.

Comments

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you have to read the formal lit or just memorize those stock phrases. I've got a bunch of study guides for it if you'd like to look at them, but they too date from ten years back when it was doubtless much easier. If you only got 56% then it must be much *much* harder than in my day because your kanji knowledge is a lot better than mine.