Language Knowledge
50%of exam
Vocabulary 33%Grammar 17%1000 kanji6000 words200 patterns
Reading Comprehension
28%of exam
Short passagesMedium passagesLong passagesIntegratedInfo retrieval
Listening Comprehension
22%of exam
Task-basedPoint-basedOutlineQuick responseIntegrated
Quick Facts
- Exam
- JLPT N2
- Credential
- Japanese Proficiency N2
- Time
- 155 min
- Pass
- 90/180 + 19/60
- Questions
- ~100-115
- Fee
- USD 60-80
- Sessions
- Jul + Dec
JLPT Levels
N5 < N4 < N3 < N2 < N1
N5: basicN3: bridgeN2: upperN1: native-ish
N2 vs N1
N2
- ~6,000 words
- ~1,000 kanji
- B1-B2
N1
- ~10,000 words
- ~2,000 kanji
- B2-C1
Upper-int vs advanced
Grammar Pattern Picker
- Parallel main + side→かたわら(Formal; ongoing)
- Despite expectation→わりに(Colloquial)
- Formal despite→にもかかわらず(Written tone)
- Soft concession→ものの(Mild 'but')
- Counterfactual regret→〜ば〜のに(Past unreal)
- Strong conviction→に違いない(Confident inference)
- Risk/warning→おそれがある(Negative outcome)
- Incidental chance→ついでに(On opportunity)
N2 Vocabulary
- 把握
- Grasp/comprehend頻出
- 許可
- Permission
- やむを得ない
- Unavoidable
- 差し支える
- Be a problem
- 見込み
- Prospect/odds
- 取り消す
- Cancel/rescind
- 伴う
- Accompany/entail
Conditional Chain
と → ば → たら → なら: broad to narrow
と: automaticば: generalたら: temporalなら: given
N2 vs N3
N2
- 1,000 kanji
- 6,000 words
- 200 patterns
N3
- 650 kanji
- 3,700 words
- ~120 patterns
Intermediate vs upper
Kanji Readings
- 音読み
- Chinese reading
- 訓読み
- Japanese reading
- 把握
- はあく (on)
- 許可
- きょか (on)
- 大人
- おとな (kun)
- 役所
- やくしょ (on)
On'yomi vs Kun'yomi
音読み
- Chinese reading
- Compounds
- 把握=はあく
訓読み
- Japanese reading
- Standalone
- 把=にぎる
Compound vs alone
Word Formation
- 複合動詞
- Compound verbs
- 引き起こす
- Cause/trigger
- 思い込む
- Assume/firmly believe
- 接頭語
- Prefix
- 接尾語
- Suffix
- 未〜
- Not yet (prefix)
ば vs たら
〜ば
- General if
- Bookish
- Stable condition
〜たら
- When/if
- Spoken
- Past-based
Hypothetical vs temporal
N2 Grammar Patterns
- かたわら
- While/parallel action
- わりに
- Despite/for
- にもかかわらず
- Despite (formal)
- ものの
- But/although
- ついでに
- While at it
- どころか
- Far from
- に違いない
- Must be/certainly
- おそれがある
- Risk of
謙譲 vs 尊敬
謙譲語
- Lowers self
- 参る/申す
- To superiors
尊敬語
- Raises other
- いらっしゃる
- To superiors
Self-lower vs other-raise
Conditionals + Concessives
- 〜ば
- If/general condition
- 〜たら
- If/when (temporal)
- 〜と
- Whenever/automatic
- 〜なら
- If given (topic)
- 〜さえ〜ば
- Only if
- 〜ば〜のに
- Counterfactual regret
Honorifics
- 謙譲語
- Humble form
- 尊敬語
- Honorific form
- 丁寧語
- Polite (desu/masu)
- 参る
- Go (humble)
- いらっしゃる
- Be/go (honorific)
- お/ご〜する
- Humble action
Reading Order
Topic -> Detail -> Author intent
Topic: firstDetail: middleIntent: end
Short vs Long Passage
短文
- 200-300 chars
- One idea
- Quick scan
長文
- 800-1000 chars
- Argument
- Read all
Single vs multi-idea
Reading Strategy Picker
- 200-300 chars→短文 scanning(One main idea)
- ~500 chars→中文 reading(Social/work topic)
- 800-1000 chars→長文 full read(Opinion piece)
- Two passages→統合理解(Compare views)
- Notice or chart→情報検索(Scan keywords)
- Author intent→主張 question(Final paragraph)
Reading Strategies
- 短文
- 200-300 chars
- 中文
- ~500 chars
- 長文
- 800-1000 chars
- 統合理解
- Compare two texts
- 情報検索
- Notice/chart scan
- 筆者主張
- Author intent
Reading Question Types
- 主題
- Main idea
- 原因・理由
- Cause/reason
- 詳細
- Specific detail
- 意図
- Author intent
- 指示語
- Referent (こそあど)
- 言い換え
- Paraphrase hunt
Listening Cues
語尾 + 助詞 + 敬語 = intent
語尾: tone助詞: role敬語: relation
Task vs Point Listening
課題理解
- Next action
- Cue words
- Who does what
ポイント理解
- Main idea
- Key detail
- Why/how
Action vs idea
Listening Task Picker
- Pick next action→課題理解(Listen for cue)
- Identify main point→ポイント理解(First/last line)
- Summarize talk→概要理解(Topic sentence)
- Choose reply→即時応答(Tone matters)
- Long dialogue→統合理解(Both speakers)
Listening Task Types
- 課題理解
- Pick next action
- ポイント理解
- Identify key point
- 概要理解
- Grasp outline
- 即時応答
- Quick reply choice
- 統合理解
- Long dialogue/integrated
- 発話意図
- Speaker intent
Listening Strategies
- 語尾
- Sentence ending cue
- 助詞
- Particle focus
- 敬語
- Polite-speech level
- 省略
- Omission/implied
- イントネーション
- Intonation/tone
Common Traps
Section minimums
19/60 each required ≠ 90 total not enough
Counterfactual regret
Past unreal = ば〜のに ≠ Not だろう alone
On vs Kun traps
Compounds use 音読み ≠ Standalone use 訓読み
Listening natural speed
No learner pauses ≠ Practice native pace
Similar grammar patterns
わりに vs にもかかわらず ≠ Colloquial vs formal
Passage length strategy
Long passage: read all ≠ Don't skim opinion
Last Minute
- 1.Weights: 50/28/22
- 2.Pass: 90/180 + 19/60 each
- 3.Time LK+R 105m / L 50m
- 4.1000 kanji; 6000 vocab
- 5.〜ば hypothetical; 〜たら temporal
- 6.音読み compounds; 訓読み standalone
- 7.謙譲 lowers self; 尊敬 raises other
- 8.Long passage: read all
- 9.Listen for sentence-ending
- 10.Check all 4 options
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