Speedanki uses the new JLPT 2010 level system

Hi All,

The next Japanese Language Proficiency Test date is approaching fast: it’s July 4, 2010. That’s 93 days from now! However, the test will only be offered in Japan, India and other Asian countries on this date. In North America and Europe, the next test date is December 5, 2010. You can find your nearest JLPT test center from this list provided by the Japan Foundation. They have even created a little world map as a shortcut to the list, bless them.

Unless you are new to the JLPT, you have probably heard that this year the test will be slightly different from previous years. The Japan Foundation’s official announcement (together with some sample questions) about the change is available here. It’s a bit difficult to decode, so let me summarise the most important point: a new level will be added between the old levels 3 and 2. This is because a lot of people found the jump from level 3 to level 2 to be really difficult. In other words, they are adding a nice intermediate level that will smooth out the learning curve. The old levels remain unchanged, except that their names/numbers change to accommodate the new level. This is what the names look like after the change:

As of today, I have updated the level labels on Speedanki to correspond with the new naming scheme. You can continue to use the flashcards to practice vocabulary for JLPT levels N5, N4, N2 and N1 as if nothing happened. Your old saved cards automatically appear under the new level labels.

For the new intermediate level N3, we unfortunately don’t have any cards at this moment. Assuming it works like the earlier levels, this is what it takes to produce a card set: someone obtains the test specification, selects a good subset of the words for studying purposes, types in the words in kanji and hiragana, and adds an English translation from JEDICT. A native speaker then fixes the translations and adds an example sentence that illustrates use and helps in memorisation. I am thinking of ways to get this done, but I know there’s no way I will be able to do it myself at the moment. At the same time, I am kind of hoping that someone over at the JLPT Study Page eventually decides to pull it together — or perhaps even one of you!

Thanks for your comments and feedback again, 勉強を頑張ってください！