Aguro

Well, I tried doing the test using the written allocated time. I finished the 1st (character & vocabulary) and 2nd (listening) section on time, but got short of 10 numbers for the last (reading & grammar) section. The result was pretty bad:

• Character & vocabulary: 76.7/100 (76.7%)
• Listening: 72.4/100 (72.4%)
• Reading & grammar: 120.8/200 (60.4%)
• Combined: 269.9/400 (67.5%)

It is said that the passing grade for JLPT level 1 is around 75%. Does it mean that I need to have 75% score for each section, or only for the combined score? Well, whatever the criteria may be, I still need to work hard if I want to pass.

Some notes:

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Thanks to my JLPT study, today I’ve finished studying the last level 8 Jouyou kanji. With this, I’ve actually completed all the Jouyou kanji! The amount of Jouyou kanji is 1945, which is the year which Indonesia declared its independence! Yay!

The last kanji is 髄 which is used in words such as 骨髄 (kotsuzui, bone marrow) and 真髄 (shinzui, essence). It’s interesting that there is a Japanese cosmetics sold in Indonesia named しんずい (shinzui). If you can stand some gross images click here to see what a marrow looks like.

This is just only the beginning. There is so much in mastering a kanji: its multitude meanings and readings, and most importantly proficiency in using words containing the kanji. I’m still far from that. Well, but still each small milestone must be celebrated :).

I still have 100+ kanji to study for the JLPT, but perhaps I should try a mock test soon and see how well (or nasty) it would turn out…

I hate studying from a kanji list. I believe one’s study should be as personal as possible, and that’s why I advocate reading real materials and studying any kanji you find there.

However for the JLPT there is no choice but to study all kanji that will appear in the test. I have compiled the list of JLPT kanji, so the next task is to study them. But how?

Even among those kanji, I still make a simple prioritization. I will first learn all grade 8 Jouyou kanji. Next will be jinmeiyou kanji, or kanji authorized to be used in names (aka grade 9). The last will be the leftovers.

I have to learn 5 more grade 8 kanji, 109 new jinmeiyou kanji, and 4 leftovers, totaling 118 more kanji. With my special boosted JLPT rate of learning 6 new kanji per day, I should finish them in 20 days…