The Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or JLPT, is administered only once per year and is taken by about 380,000 (1995 figures) non-native speakers of Japanese each year worldwide. The test is divided into four levels (1-4), with Level 1 being the most difficult. The Level 1 has a pass rate of only 29%.
After 4 years of university study of Japanese in my native country, I doubt I would have passed anything beyond Level 3 of the JLPT upon graduation. However, using the techniques I share with you below, I studied for and passed Level 1 of the JLPT on the first try after just 15 months of additional study (while working full time). This success was due not to any innate linguistic talent of mine but rather to having worked out ways of studying smart. Here is what I found works best:
Tip #1: Buy and use blank note cards religiously:
I prefer the type that comes in packs of 100 cards and are bound by a single metal ring. When studying for the JLPT, I filled 35 packs of these cards, or the equivalent of 3,500 words and phrases. Carry a pack everywhere you go and write down every word you come across that you do not recognize. This works because the act of...
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