Hi, I am Shingo SATO, a native speaker with more than 10 years of experience teaching Japanese.
In this post, I will share with you recommended books to prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Recommended Books for Preparation for the JLPT
There are 4 recommended books for preparation for the JLPT as follows.
- Official Practice Workbook
- Irodori Japanese for Life in Japan
- Marugoto Japanese Language and Culture
- Japanese Books That are Easy to Understand
Next, I’ll tell you the details one by one.
Official Practice Workbook
The most recommended book for JLPT is the official practice workbook.
Since they are official and can be downloaded for free, there is no reason not to use them.
Not only is there a booklet of questions, but also answer sheets and audio files of the listening comprehension are provided.
In addition to using them for practice tests, you can also use them to analyze the questions.
For vocabulary lists of JLPT based on the official practice workbook, please read the following posts:
JLPT N4 Vocabulary List from Official Workbook
JLPT N5 Vocabulary List from Official Workbook
Why I do not recommend “unofficial” JLPT books
Before I introduce other books, I would like to explain why I do not recommend unofficial JLPT books.
There are many books for the JLPT available on the market.
However, I do not recommend these.
This is because I am not sure whether they are effective or not.
Until 2009, the JLPT had published past questions and question criteria.
However, since the new test in 2010, both past exam questions and question criteria have not been made public.
I cannot judge whether the books sold in such a situation are effective or not.
I once asked a major Japanese publisher how they select words for N1 and N2 vocabulary books.
The gist of their answer was as follows.
We have taken over the words from the vocabulary books of the old examinations.
The words included in the old test vocabulary book were selected from an intermediate-level Japanese language textbook based on the authors’ (Japanese language teachers’) experience.
This is just one company’s vocabulary book, but it is impossible to publish an effective book, without knowing the actual questions and the criteria for the questions.
On the other hand, the official practice workbook can be trusted.
Solving and analyzing these problems will probably get you closer to passing the exam.
However, it has the disadvantage that the number of questions is small.
Therefore, I would like to suggest the following books.
Irodori Japanese for Life in Japan（up to N4）
Up to N4, I recommend studying with “Irodori” as a way to prepare for the JLPT.
This is published by the Japan Foundation, which administers the JLPT.
As shown below, “Irodori” will give you the ability equivalent to N4.
Q11. Which level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) does Irodori correspond to?
Quoted from: Irodori Official Website
A11. The Irodori levels do not directly match specific JLPT levels. “Elementary 2” levels of Irodori, you can be considered to have reached the N4 level of JLPT, which is “the On the other hand, while JLPT measures linguistic competence based on the receptive skills of reading and listening, Irodori On the other hand, while JLPT measures linguistic competence based on the receptive skills of reading and listening, Irodori also includes objectives for speaking and writing.
All Irodori materials are available free of charge at Irodori Official Website, and there are also free online courses. Please try this one.
Marugoto Japanese Language and Culture（up to N3）
Up to N3, I recommend studying with “Marugoto“, also published by the Japan Foundation
The materials are not free, but you can study up to the N4 equivalent level （A2/B1）in the online course for free at Minato, an e-learning platform.
If there is a Japan Foundation office in your country, you may be able to find Marugoto classes, so please inquire. For example, the Japan Foundation in Malaysia also offers online courses at the N3 equivalent level （B1）, as you can see in the following facebook post.
For more information on Marugoto, please read the following post.
Japanese Books That are Easy to Understand
Another recommendation is to read a lot of Japanese books that are easy to understand. This kind of reading is called “extensive reading”. With this method, you read a lot of Japanese books at a level that you can enjoy without having to consult a dictionary. Since it is a “Japanese book,” manga is also acceptable.
I once spoke with a teacher who is a representative of a non-profit organization that promotes “extensive reading” in Japan.
According to her, some students have passed the N1 or N2 exam by reading a lot and taking several practice tests.
I also noticed that I was able to answer questions easily in English examinations after doing a lot of reading in English.
It is hard to see the effect, but please give it a try.
You can read more about “extensive reading” in another post, Learn the Japanese Language with Manga: the Right Proposal from a Native Japanese Teacher.
Conclusion
In this post, I shared with you recommended books to prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
In summary, you found the following.
- Official Practice Workbook
- Irodori Japanese for Life in Japan
- Marugoto Japanese Language and Culture
- Japanese Books That are Easy to Understand
I hope this post will be useful for your JLPT preparation!
As to how long it takes to pass the JLPT, please refer to this post: How Long Does it Take to Learn Japanese? Based on NAT-TEST and JLPT
For the preparation for the JLPT N3, please read the following post.
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