How to study for the JLPT? Recommendations for N1!

If you find yourself preparing to take the JLPT soon, this article on study tips from a person who has passed the JLPT N1 may be of great help to you!

The American Jonathan Parecki took his JLPT exam in December 2020 to pass it with the highest score!

For him, one of his biggest problems was his reading speed in Japanese but he solved it by reading books as well as newspapers and online articles.

One of the methods he used was ” Shin kanzen masutā shirīzu “, studying grammar with this series as well. I read Japanese newspapers and novels for about an hour a day. He started out reading children’s books with furigana, later working his way up to more famous authors such as Murakami Haruki and Kōtarō Isaka . For him it was difficult at first but in order not to lose motivation he knew that he was learning many new words along the way while enjoying reading.

Other materials he used to prepare were apps like Anki and Sticky Study .

For the vocabulary section of the exam, he used the Anki app in which he wrote the words and then memorized them for an hour. He read Japanese newspapers (many of these have “easy version” articles for those learning Japanese and can be found online) This way he practiced his grammar for L1 in context.

One of his recommendations for those who are preparing for the JLPT exam, regardless of the level, is to take time into account. You should read the questions first to see what information you will need.

For those days when you don’t feel motivated to study, he recommends that you take some time off, maybe a day. If you are constantly studying, for a day that you let pass by, there is no problem.

Another of his recommendations is to watch videos of your favorite Japanese YouTubers as it is a good way to improve your listening while having fun.

Following these tips and recommendations from someone who passed the highest level in the JLPT and with your same methods, it is very likely that you will also pass the exam! Ganbatte kudasai and much success!