Hi, it’s the last day of October, and here I am as usual…
I’m not sure what to write but I guessed I haven’t told you the story about my JLPT experience, so let’s talk about it.
This year I decided to take a JLPT test, N3 level. I was just wondering and really wanted to know at what level my Japanese is based on the official test. I’ve heard that the test registration was quite competitive, i.e. it’s prone to getting sold out as soon as the registration was open because they only provided certain quota/seats per test, so basically it’s “first comes first served” thing. Perhaps because so many Indonesians want to go to Japan to work? I don’t know.
But, well, I knew where I wanted to take the test. Where I am, the options are only to take the test either in Malang (UB) or Surabaya (Unesa). Goes without saying, I chose Surabaya, partly also because then I’d have an opportunity to visit my sister and my wonderful nieces nearby.
So yeah, I set a reminder of when the registration was open. Before that (I believe?) I created an account so that I could register right away when it’s open. And yes, on the first day it’s officially open, I was just whoosh…rushed, registered, made payment, and got it done. It’s open at 9am and I finished registering and paying at 9.07am. LoL It’s a bit frustrating at first because the first QRIS payment I tried to make didn’t work, but thankfully, after changing my bank, it worked (btw, it cost me IDR 221540 in total, so not bad compared to TOEFL/IELTS🙃, not to mention that it’s forever valid unless you take another test at a higher level, unlike TOEFL/IELTS, which is valid for only 2 years, what a scam! 🤡). And by the way, when I was registering, they asked some questions like my purpose in taking the test, whether I used Japanese at work, with whom I communicated in Japanese, etc. I registered in March for the test in July (there are only two tests in a year, btw).
July came, I went to stay at my sister’s house the day before. I went to UNESA for the test the next day via online motorcycle ride, and of course I prepared the stationary, even bought some new ones. LOL But I didn’t really study. I don’t know, I was just too tired. I was like, “Let’s just see how much I’d get without studying extra.” By extra I mean really studying the way I would like when I was still in high school or in college/university. This time I was just reviewing some lessons I learned back at uni, looking at my notes, and it’s perhaps only few days before the test, so yeah.
At the test center, wow, so many people were present, so many people taking the test at various levels. There was this lady I encountered. She asked about the building and the room for test and all, and so we sorta conversed a little about taking JLPT test experience, and I stupidly asked if she’s also taking N3 and she said she’s taking N1. My. That’s the highest level. I felt so bad. I really didn’t mean to underestimate her or such, I was just trying to find someone taking the same level test as I did. She told me how she’s failed several times after I told her that it’s my first. Then we parted ways ’cause the place for N1 test and N3 test were different.
Time for the test. They asked us to put our bag in front, to only take pencil, eraser, and sharpener with us/to put on the table. We must turn off our phones/devices and submit them too. If your watch was digital, you’d also need to give it up. It felt like being your things confiscated, except that they actually gave us a piece of paper to take them back after we’re done with the test. Then they distributed all test papers (all 3 sections: Vocab & Grammar, reading, and listening), but we were allowed to open the test paper only when it’s time to start. It’s pretty peaceful. We got breaks between sections so two breaks in total. And we must not be late especially for the listening test, ’cause once the audio was played and we weren’t back in class, we’d be considered withdrawing or disqualified. And I can’t believe that one of the test takers in my class really didn’t return for the listening test. Wild!
The test itself wasn’t that hard, if you studied, I’m convinced this is so. It’s hard for me, though, because I didn’t really study, and you know I suck at Kanji. And I haven’t really got in touch with or practice Japanese, except my regular phone calls with my Japanese friend. I didn’t watch as many anime and Japanese dramas as before as well. And I only got back to brushing my Japanese at Duolingo only nearing the day of the test (I was learning more Chinese as I was watching more short Chinese dramas now😂🙈🙏) Yeah, I know I got my priority wrong. But really, at this age, I didn’t want to try too hard. Life is so exhausting…and it’s not like I really need N3 certificate for work or study. It’s really just a luxury that I decided to take now that I could afford it… (ok, that’s a lame excuse, I’m just lazy and perhaps have become worse. Sorry). But really, the test was just like the test simulation they provided in the official JLPT website. I just wished the audio for the listening section could be repeated or played at least twice… Sigh.
But, well, I did the test. I had to wait for sometime before I got the result. I didn’t really check until 5 October. I thought, and previously I read, the result would come out around October, so yeah, I didn’t check before that. But holly, I found that we could actually access the result since 25 August. Gosh!
I checked my result with anticipation and trepidation (what a hyperbole!). I was like: if I passed, I don’t think it would reflect my true Japanese skill because some of my answers were just guesses; it I passed, it would just show how lucky I was and perhaps how good I was at guessing, but hey: I didn’t pass. Not sure if I was sad about it or not. I’ve begun to think that perhaps I’ve become numb. No, sorry, I guess it’s a mixed feeling. I can’t really resent myself for not studying harder, perhaps because there’s no really a significant consequence for failing this test? I mean, as I said, I wasn’t planning to work or study in Japan or such, so I didn’t really need this N3. I took it purely because I wanted to know my Japanese level. I chose N3 because I’m sure N5 would be too easy for me and I think N2 might be too difficult, so I was gambling between N3 and N4 but decided to got with N3 because, well, should aim higher but still realistic, right? (Actually because when I audited Japanese classes at uni, my test indicated I was at low intermediate level, that’s why…) I think I felt bad because I was like an irresponsible person and ungrateful for this opportunity. So yeah, I might have felt bad but I wasn’t as guilty. I had work and all those lame excuses after all…
But hey, I guess I felt a bit happy too. Because you see, I got 92 and the total score required to pass N3 is 95. I know. It’s crazy. Just 3 more scores and I’d pass N3. Dang. Perhaps it’s only one more correct answer away. LoL It’s between 残念 and よかった actually. But in a way, I guess I achieved my goal of wanting to know my Japanese level based on the official test? I’m not quite there yet, but at least I know I’m closer to N3 than to N4, and look, listening actually got the highest score (I couldn’t with English. LoL). So yeah, allow me to celebrate^^ (I know, I’ve become so cheap to celebrate all these little things not worth being proud of my senior-high-school and college-university me would laugh or perhaps get pissed off me. LoL)
And hey, should I retake N3 again next year? And perhaps this time study for real^^
PS: JLPT test was not that expensive, what made it expensive was the fact that I needed to travel to Surabaya, and if I had had no place to stay, I’d have had to make a hotel reservation too, so yeah, it might still be too expensive for some people who have to travel to and stay in Surabaya only for the test.
