I think stick to n2 personally but how many hours do you have in the day to dedicate to studying?
The gap between n3 and n2 is already considered reasonably tough.
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Depends on my workload tbh. At least an hour, sometimes much more. If the jump to N2 is already substantial, Iāll probably just go in order and get N2, even if it ends up feeling easy.
For estimation, N2 needs 6000 vocabs, 800 grammar points, about 1000+ kanjis. While N1 need around 12000 vocabs, 1000 grammar points, all the jouyo Kanji (2200+). This could be a reference point. This is the number to comfortably pass the exam (75%+). These could be a little bit less with lower percentage.
The N2-N1 gap is HUGE, but I guess it is like everything else in lifeā¦ When it comes to the highest level.
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Accountability time! I WILL take the N2 exam in July. It might be overly ambitious, but I really want to give it a shot, knowing that, by then, the N3 might be ātoo easyā (which isnāt the best wording, but I hope you all know what I mean).
The flaw, of course, is that the test couldnāt care less about your ability to speak, which feels like a weird thing to aim for. But, alas, I shall play the āgameā!
On the other hand going from 6k to 12k will be so much easier (if there are connections between words and kanji and they are not just crammed) then going from 0 to 6k, it should be like ground and earth. Same for kanji, I can say I know really well 500 kanji, but I donāt think there are many N1 kanji I havenāt seen yet, so taking them to a high understanding will probably take much less time then it took to this whole base.
I think reinforcement loops are what we should be looking for while learning Japanese.
But ye, if we are talking 300-400 hours from N3 to N1 I donāt know how itās possible, might be depending on a type of study that led to N3?
Yeah, totally agrre with you on the part of the second 6k words from n2 to n1 is much easier than the first 6k. If you are going to attempt n1 anyway, how about learning all the kanjis first before anything else? Itās going to be much much easier to recognize and guessing words meaning with a solid kanji base.
In my case, I have bruntly faced 2200 kanjis right after I learn hiragana and katakana. Only after that, then I begin my N5 learning. Good kanji base is not very helpful at lower levels, but with it, vocab from n2 onward is super easy. Moreover, unlike words, kanji can be forgotten really easily. Learning kanjis earlier and keep a daily route learning routine (review 10 or 20 kanjis a day) will be quite beneficial.
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Iāve tried cramming kanji right after hiragana and furigana as well using rtk and managed to get first 1700 in the first moments before understanding that it wasnāt to beneficial for me who didnāt know almost no other stuff except that.
Now I use very simple logic for that.
Quality > Quantity
If I know 1 kanji and its really āmineā dozens of words become super familiar to me, like knowing root of the word English. Recognition speed is like for kana and can dissect it into meaning/sound component easily.
Another thing about learning them before the word, I started using this logic:
We have:
- Words for kanji
- Kanji components and etymology
- Word (and therefore kanji) context
If I combine all 3 and other little one itās easy for me to learn everything. If I isolate some of those they donāt really stick (as it was for the first 1500 hours of study or so)
If you are interested in what I do now I wrote it here:
time flies so fast, only 207 days left 
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Is the test the same regardless of where I take it?
The test may vary by country or region. However, scoring and certification are administered in a fair and consistent manner.
Theyāve added the above to their FAQ. Not sure when, but you can find out via archive.org.
So I guess tests can now vary by region?
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At long last!
If the tests were different this time around and some people just filled in answers theyād found and memorized from the internet, they will really have egg on their faces 
And perhaps the others might get inflated scores ā¦ ? 
EDIT: It appears that change was made between April and June 2025, i.e. actually before the JLPT tests in July 2025.
A reminder to everyone here, only 200 days left till exam days! No pressure! 
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I took my N4 this year in july. I missed the deadline in Germany to sign up for it, so I stayed a month in Tokyo to be able to do it there. It was awesome.^^
I thought Iād wait with N3 till next year december but right now I feel cocky and will try it in july already. 
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On that topic, how does signing up for the exam in japan differ from doing it in germany?
I thought since you need an address for the exam voucher and everything youād need to know the where youre staying at way in advance or something like that.
I basically booked a JLPT package from a provider of language courses. They took care of all the registration stuff for me. The voucher was sent to them and they handed it to me when I arrived in Tokyo. I still had to book 4 months in advance but in Germany the deadline to sign up is usually sometime in february. There are (as of now) three institutions that offer the JLPT in july and december. You sign up with them and they give you your voucher and, hopefully, your certificate afterwards.
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200 days left 
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I took N2 earlier in December but if I pass it will probably be with a low score. My professor is urging me to keep on going and aim for N1 anyway but it does look like a really big gap.
Maybe Iāll retake N2 in July and then N1 in December (though Iām not optimistic that Iāll be able to pass).
Looks like thereās no JLPT in July in Melbourne anymore. I suppose Iāll take the N4 in Sydney then! Day trip!
Kinda shocked that Sydneyās only doing the N4 and N5. Wouldāve assumed that being Australiaās premier capital city, theyād be providing the lot. But if I wanted to do anything higher I could go to the Gold Coast instead, because theyāre providing all the N levels? No idea of this logic.
Maybe I should take my day trip to the Gold Coast instead anywayā¦ because beachā¦ 
And then maybe I should extend my trip by a few daysā¦ hehehe
Sadly itās not available in the US in July, so I may take a long road trip up the coast to Canada to try for the N2.
Iām looking at doing the N4 in Sydney next July as well! But I live up in far North Queensland, so anywhere is basically a trip away for me
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I donāt think I passed the N2 this last time around, so Iām hoping to be able to take it again in July. The thing I donāt like is that Iām a teacher, and these tests are always around the times that my students have finals, which is my busiest time, so I canāt study. Super frustrating.
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