Those who passed JLPT N2 or N1, was Bunpro grammar enough or did you supplement your study?

Bunpro
#1

I’d like to take the JLPT N2 this December, and if that goes well, start preparing for the N1.

Specifically for the “learning grammar” part, and only limited to that one part, I’d like to know if it will be enough to study and drill grammar using Bunpro reviews, or if those who passed supplemented their grammar study with additional materials, e.g. textbooks or JLPT prep books.

If using Bunpro is actually a good enough preparation for the grammar points, that would free up some time for reading books, practicing listening, etc., which would help a lot. But I worry if my grammar skills will lack.

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#2

I haven’t passed either (planning to do so at the end of the year), but reading helps consolidating everything. It’s no longer just an exercise, but something you need to understand and use in the wild. And you’ll have to do a lot of reading in the exam. The same applies to vocabulary. You can learn words in isolation, but it’s completely different from actually seeing them in context.

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#3

Yes and no for me. I graduated from university a decade ago, pre-Bunpro, where I’d taken Japanese up to the highest level and was at about the upper N3 level. I took the N2 for shits and giggles shortly after graduating without studying at all and ended up failing by 1 point. I then proceeded to not study or use Japanese at all for about 6-7 years.

In late 2022, I made the decision that I wanted to pick up Japanese again and to pass the N2, so I signed up for Bunpro and worked through all the grammar. Didn’t use the vocab section much though, since it was still underdevelopment and didn’t have any example sentences yet. I didn’t use any other textbooks, but did binge watch a lot of Nihongo no Mori’s N2 practice test videos a month or two prior to the test. I took the N2 in December 2023 and passed with 90+%.

I haven’t taken the N1 yet, but have passed a few practice tests with decent marks. For N1 study, I’ve only used Bunpro so far for grammar. I have been slowly working through the Kanzen Master Reading Comprehension JLPT N1 though, as most of the native material I engage with is pretty different from some of the denser readings that come up on the JLPT.

TLDR: N2, yes. N1, maybe?

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#4

Bumping this thread as another person planning to take N2 this December! Also any advice on what % of N2 kanji is enough to survive the exam?

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#5

I passed N2 summer 2024 by 20 points, and N1 last summer by 8 points. For grammar specifically, I used Shin Kanzen textbooks and Bunpro grammar. For the information itself, I think Bunpro is more than enough. However, I think getting used to the types of questions asked on the JLPT in general is important. For the test overall, I also recommend reading. Vocab is important, and I don’t think Bunpro or Wanikani+Bunpro is enough. I was reading 代筆屋 by 辻仁成 and 色彩を持たない田崎つくると、彼の巡礼の年 by 村上春樹. Seeing all of this stuff in context is important. That’s my recommendation.

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#6

I highly recommend Migii for JLPT practice, bunpro reviews and JLPT questions are not similar (unless you’re doing all your reviews with no hints and no translation ?)
I think it’s a good way to practice your weak points and reinforce your solid grammar base you’ve built thanks to bunpro
It’s not impossible to find N1 material in N2 exams, thanks to Migii you can be exposed to that too.

Migii is far from being perfect and very expensive for what it is (imo) so a good book about N2 exams would to the job too. It’s just that I love doing JLPT practice in the train and textbooks are too heavy for me to carry around while I commute. So as an app Migii is great, you can use it on your desktop too.

#7

I used only Bunpro for grammar while studying in general but specifically for the exam I also used shinkanzen and I’d recommend it. It shows you specific nuances in Japanese. But recent exams seem to ask not for advanced rarer grammar but for deeper understanding of otherwise easier grammar. For other skills too shinkanzen and mock exams were very good and enough for me.

#8

I try targetting n3 this december but feel a lot left behind even after everyday studying. How do i get good at constructing sentences and talking