Passing any of the Japanese Language Proficiency Tests JLPT isn’t an easy task, and it’s good to be as prepared as possible before you get to your test seat. That’s why we’ve prepared an easy-to-follow guide that will help you pass the JLPT N4 test specifically!So, how do you pass the JLPT N4 exam? We’ve broken it down into 6 sections for youConstantly expand your vocabularyPractice grammar every dayWatch Japanese TV or listen to Japanese musicPractice speaking JapaneseUse plenty of study booksTake the mock exams available onlineFind a study partner/forum onlineThe JLPT has multiple different sections to it, and you’ll need to make sure you’re studying the right kinds of material to prepare you well. Let’s dive on in!The Ultimate Guide for Passing the JLPT N4Before we begin, it’s important to understand the basics of how the JLPT works in general, and then understand how the JLPT N4 is designed to run. If you’ve decided to take the JLPT N4, this might be your first JLPT the JLPT N4 Difficult?The JLPT is broken down into five sections, where N5 is the easiest and N1 is the most difficult. That makes the N4 exam the second easiest exam you’ll take on your JLPT journey. It’s important to realize that most native Japanese speakers actually aren’t at an N1 level; instead, they fall in the N2 level. That means the JLPT N4 only has one level between it and native all of that, the JLPT N4 is still a fairly simple test if you’re learning Japanese. Here are the requirements’ that the official JLPT websiteUnderstand basic JapaneseUnderstand and read about basic topics in everyday life including with kanji charactersFollow conversations spoken slowly about everyday lifeThat might sound intimidating, but it’s actually easier than you’d think. Most of the time, you’ll naturally learn these things first anyway, so you don’t have to worry about learning the wrong type of things. Essentially, you’ll need to be able to understand basic conversations and introductory phrases in Japanese—the first things you’d learn in any language learning JLPT tests three different areas reading, language knowledge, and listening. Each of these sections are tested individually with their own time requirements. However, the N4 and N5 exams exclude reading, so you’ll only have to study for language knowledge and listening!The language knowledge portions of the JLPT N4 test include both grammar and vocabulary, and the two will be tested at separate times meaning you can’t cheat the multiple choice system and use the other questions to help you narrow down an answer. This includes kanji characters, so don’t forget to include them in your vocabulary listening portion of the JLPT N4 sounds much worse than it actually is. The speech will all be super slow, nowhere near the natural speed of Japanese. You won’t need to understand every single word, either; as long as you can follow the conversation and understand the gist of what’s going on, then you’ll be fine!The best part is that you don’t even have to ace the exam to pass. For the JLPT N4, you only need to get 90 points out of 180 possible points—that’s only 50%! This makes it a little less stressful when it comes to studying vocabulary since you don’t have to worry about missing a few specific words in your that you know how the JLPT works and what you need to be ready for when you go take the test, let’s jump into the study guide! These steps and tips are going to keep you on track to pass the JLPT N4 the first time you take Constantly Expand Your VocabularyWhile vocabulary is only one part of the JLPT N4 exam, it affects every other section heavily. You can’t really do well on the listening section if your Japanese vocabulary isn’t up to par. The same thing applies to grammar; it’s hard to know which answer is correct if you can’t figure out what it’s trying to of this, you’ll want to always be studying vocabulary. For example, you would typically break things up into sections to study; you might be thinking of studying grammar for two months, vocabulary for two months, and listening for two months. You can’t do that with Japanese language will require you to learn multiple forms of one word, both in kanji and in hiragana/katakana. This is going to require you to learn a lot of words, and it’s made more difficult by the fact that not everything translates perfectly from English to you’ll need to study vocabulary the entire time you’re preparing for the JLPT N4. There are so many different vocabulary words, and the JLPT website doesn’t give you a list, so you’ll need to be as prepared as possible for any vocabulary that could come you can do this fairly easily…but it will require some planning. You’ll need to make a list of all the vocabulary words you can find and start splitting them into sections. For example, you might study animals one week and colors the next. Here’s a few examples of topics you can separate words intoFamilyGreetingsEmotionsLocationColorsAnimalsHobbiesWorkEducationThose aren’t every possible way to break down vocabulary sections, but it’s a good start. Using a vocabulary study book will also help you here—these are typically separated in a similar Practice Grammar Every DayLike vocabulary, you’ll need to practice your grammar skills constantly in order to retain them. While grammar does build on itself, at a certain point that stops. For example, you might be learning about how to speak of the past. Not every conversation is going to be about the past, and once you’ll start getting rusty with the old way to make sure that you’re practicing grammar is by keeping a journal where you write in Japanese. Be aware that this isn’t an easy thing to do—Japanese uses a different alphabet than English, and it’s going to take a lot of work to start out keeping a journal or diary is a great way to practice your grammar skills regularly. Writing about your day and your thoughts includes more grammatical tenses and phrases than you would think. Plus, it’s pretty fun to do! It’ll also help you keep your vocabulary can also find plenty of vocabulary reviews/questions online by searching for whatever grammar topic you’re studying. Try keeping a study bank of questions that you can answer daily, even if it’s just two or three questions. This will help you retain everything you’ve learned in the long can also practice grammar by practicing translating things, like a children’s story. However, this can be difficult since you might come across phrases or grammar ideas that you haven’t studied yet. This will also more than likely force you to expand your vocabulary at the same time, so it’s definitely something to try out. 3. Watch Japanese TV or Listen to Japanese MusicOne of the quickest ways to learn a language is through immersion, which is putting yourself in situations where Japanese is the primary language. However, if you’re somewhere other than Japan, this is virtually are techniques that are similar to immersion though! One thought process is that the more you hear a language, the more you start to understand it. While it’s not going to magically happen, you’ll start to recognize the way a language is spoken and the vocal sounds by listening to way you can easily do that no matter where you are is by watching Japanese TV or movies and listening to Japanese music. With the internet, it’s possible to digest media from all around the world, and there are plenty of ways to watch Japanese media specifically. In fact,Netflix and Hulu both have Japanese options with animated you’re watching TV, you can choose whether or not you want subtitles or not; if you’re feeling good about your basic Japanese, then you can even try having Japanese subtitles on! Tailor your studies to how you learn best and decide what’s the best structure for songs is also a fun thing to do, especially if you’re someone who enjoys music! Japanese music is pretty different from most English music, so it’s a great experience; it’ll also make you enjoy the music more!Digesting Japanese media will also give you a great understanding of how Japanese culture is. Japanese culture is very different from almost all Western cultures, and it’s very important to understand those differences while studying the are shaped by culture, and Japanese is no exception. The more you understand about the Japanese culture and Japanese history, the more you’ll come to understand the Japanese language. Both music and TV shows or movies will help you in this Practice Speaking JapaneseWhile there is no portion of the JLPT N4 that will require you to speak, speaking Japanese is incredibly important to do while you’re studying it. Language anxiety is a huge problem when you start learning any language, and if you never speak it, then you’ll find it harder and harder to try as you a simple task that you can practice at home after learning how Japanese letters are spoken. It’ll take some time, but it’s worth it in the long run. Knowing how to speak the Japanese you know also makes a huge impact on how well you do on other listening section sees the most benefit if you know how to speak Japanese. It’s much easier to understand what’s being spoken to you when you know how the language is supposed to sound and how it feels to speaking Japanese gives you a chance to practice those vocabulary and grammar skills as well. While it’s an additional thing to learn, it’s definitely something that keeps on giving as you study more. It’s worth it in the long are a few ideas of what you can speak out loudQuestions from your study materialEntries from your Japanese diarySong lyricsThe best possible scenario is to have a conversation with someone, but that’s not always possible. If you are trying to go that route, then you can try hiring Japanese tutors online! Just be careful anytime you’re giving out information about yourself Use Plenty of Study BooksStudy books are going to be your best bet when it comes to passing the JLPT N4. While you can learn a lot from videos, apps, and websites, it’s not going to be enough for most people to pass the JLPT books let you take control of your learning, and they’re perfect for teaching yourself a new language. You can go at whatever pace works best for you, and it also helps keep you on track!Using study books also saves you time before you even start studying. Without study guides, you’d have to make plans for what you’re going to study when. While you might still have to do this even while you’re using study books think of what we discussed with vocabulary, it’ll still be much quicker and easier to do whenever you have to. There are a ton of study guide options that exist, so we’ve taken the time to sort out the top 10 for you to choose from. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to buy just one of these and pass the exam; you’ll need at least one for each section, and some of these pair really well are the top ten study books for the JLPT N4 exam1. N4/N5 Goukaku Dekiru WorkbookThis study guide is actually a workbook, so it’s the perfect thing to pair with any of the other study books here. It’s also created to make sure that you can get adjusted to how the JLPT N4 exam will ask questions. This workbook also has an N5 review exam, so you can get a review in before you move on. There is also an N4 mock exam, so you’ll be able to test yourself once the time comes!2. Shin Kanzen Master N4 GrammarThe Kanzen Master study books are considered some of the best study books available for any of the JLPT exams, and they come with plenty of material to get you as prepared as possible for the JLPT N4 exam. This study book will give you everything you need to know about Japanese grammar for the JLPT N4 with detailed breakdowns. There are also plenty of questions in this to quiz yourself with as you Shin Kanzen Master N4 ReadingThe Kanzen Master study book for the reading section gives you a great idea on how the JLPT N4 exam will test you. With multiple different types of reading practice material and a guide for how to break down the questions to help you answer them, you’ll be set and ready to go for the reading section of the JLPT N4 after using this study Shin Kanzen Master N4 ListeningThis study guide is the perfect companion for those looking to practice the listening section of the JLPT N4 exam. It’s also filled with tips about how you can understand spoken Japanese better, making it a much needed study book for anyone who doesn’t have much access to Japanese media. It’s also a great representation of how slowly the JLPT N4 exam’s listening section will be Nihongo So-Matome N4 Kanji & WordsThe Nihongo So-matome books are the other top tier JLPT study books, and they’ve got a great vocabulary study guide. While the JLPT itself doesn’t give information on what exact words you need to know before you take the test, this study guide will guide you through the best vocabulary to learn while also teaching you the grammar skills you need as well!6. Nihongo So-Matome N4 Reading, Grammar, and ListeningIf you’re looking for a more in-depth study book, try this Nihongo So-matome book. You’ll learn the skills to take all the sections of the JLPT N4 exam. With 500 vocabulary words, including kanji characters, this comprehensive study guide will give you the most well-rounded study of Japanese you can Try! JLPT N4This study book is special compared to other JLPT N4 study guides. While every other JLPT book is going to teach you in all Japanese, this book will give you direct translations in English so you can constantly check your work while you study. Some people think this is a crutch, but it’s a necessary part of studying a new language for certain learners—don’t hesitate if you think that could be JLPT N4 Tettei DrillThis study guide is filled to the brim with practice questions and should be used at the end of your studies for a comprehensive review before you take the actual JLPT N4 exam. This specific guide also has an entire mock exam so you can try applying your studies with a time limit, giving you a guide idea of whether or not you’re ready to take the actual JLPT N4 Official Practice WorkbookThis is essentially the closest thing you’re going to get to practicing the actual exam. This official practice guide contains questions for every section and an answer key so you can give yourself a mock exam and grade it before heading to take the real JLPT N4. This is a great resource for everyone to use—it’ll give you a great idea of what you need to focus more time on, if Merriam-Webster’s Japanese-English DictionaryIf you’re going to be doing a lot of Japanese translations, it’s a great idea to keep a dictionary on you! For one thing, not everyone can just type a Japanese word into Google unless you have the appropriate keyboard set up on your computer or phone. This will also be useful if you decide to practice some of the techniques we discussed earlier in the article, such as keeping a journal or translating various Japanese books aren’t in any sort of order, but they’ll all give you a pretty good idea of where you stand when it comes to the JLPT N4 exam. There are also plenty of resources available online that you can search for! For example, the JLPT website actually has a self-evaluation you can take here. This is a great way to see where you stand before and after your studies!Remember that teaching yourself a new language isn’t easy; there are going to be things that are difficult, and using a study guide really helps you overcome those obstacles. The best part is that these study books in particular are pretty cheap compared to most language learning textbooks, so it helps you save money as well!6. Take the Mock Exams Available OnlineThere are a ton of online questions you can find, and you’ll even find entire mock exams available, too. These are priceless tools for making sure that you’ve got everything you need to know before you walk into that exam of the JLPT exams are given once every six months, so if you don’t pass, you have to wait another six months for your next shot. In some cases, that means traveling back and forth to a testing site again—which can be expensive depending on where you problem with failing the first time is trying to retain all the information you studied. Six months is a long time to go studying the same material you already know, and this can cause you to get too confident and start neglecting your studies. Ultimately, this just leads to further mock exams help you adjust to two different parts of the actual JLPT N4 exam the format and combining your knowledge together to answer a multiple choice format is fairly standard, it can be a little weird the first couple of times you see it when you’re talking about a language. In most cases, second language classes use fill-in-the-blank testing formats and steer away from multiple choice. However, with the number of JLPT exams given, it’s too hard to score that way. Mock exams give you plenty of time to adjust to language questions in a multiple choice all of your knowledge together can be more difficult than it sounds. When you’re studying, you’re used to paying attention to whatever you’re studying at a time. However, the JLPT N4 exam will combine everything together, so you have to be ready to think on a larger two things can leave your first mock exams with bad grades. That’s perfectly normal, so don’t give up! Over time, you’ll see massive improvements in your mock exam scores. The more you practice, the better you’ll Find a Study Partner/Forum OnlineTeaching yourself another language is difficult, and having an accountability partner is a great idea for when times get tough and trust me, things will get difficult. Luckily, with Japanese media rising in popularity lately, this is a fairly simple find plenty of forums online that speak about Japanese topics, and more people are learning Japanese than ever before. Popular language apps, like Duolingo, have even added Japanese courses. You should be able to find someone, or even a group of people, that’s willing to practice Japanese with someone at your level is a great idea, and since the N4 is the second easiest level, it should be relatively simple. Sometimes it’s a good idea to do this step first so you can prepare a study plan are a great place to get your questions answered and to see questions that other people have about specific Japanese language ideas. In most cases, you don’t even realize that you have a question until you encounter a problem, so this is a good preparation tactic you can use to eliminate problems before you get to you’re feeling confident, you can even find forums about topics you’re interested in—in Japanese. This will push you out of your comfort zone in the beginning, but it’s a great way to practice your Japanese while you pass time. This is also going to expand your vocabulary and communication skills way more than a study book the internet is extremely helpful, remember that it can also be dangerous. Be very careful when giving out any information about yourself, and try to limit conversations to only text. There are plenty of people and places on the internet that are safe, so don’t disregard this idea too Recommendations for your Japanese learning