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JLPT Study, 1-5 Level Kanji and Vocabulary Japanese Language Proficiency app for iPhone and iPad


4.4 ( 224 ratings )
Reference Education
Developer: Tsukurimichi
3.99 USD
Current version: 2.6.0, last update: 7 years ago
First release : 29 Sep 2009
App size: 6.89 Mb

This application will help you study the vocabulary for the Japanese Language Proficiency Tests (JLPT), level N5, N4, N3, N2 and N1 (N5 being the easiest and N1 the hardest). The split of old N2 into N3 (and new N2 set) is not officially defined and thus up to interpretation.

It also includes the KANJI for level N1 to N5. Note that N3 is subject to interpretation and N3 presented here is an estimation. N2 also contains the N3 subset.

This means that it covers roughly 8 500 words and 2000 kanji. Great care has been taken to reduce the repetition of words in the more advanced levels if they occur in the previous levels.

For each kanij level common kanji compunds are listed to help understand the meaning of the kanij. A kanji is mostly used in combination with other kanjis to make up words. This is something that often is overlooked but is very important to study.

The JLPT (日本語能力試験 nihongo nōryoku shiken) is a standardized test for evaluating the Japanese language proficiency for non-japanese.

The word lists have been screened and corrected by a native Japanese, 作道敦子, with over 2500 corrections and 2000 added level 1 compounds.

The study mode is based on interval as this will effectively reinforce your long term memory of the words.

The interval study will increase the time until next study for a word for each time the word is marked as known. If a word is not known, its score will be reduced and you will have to study it more often until its score has been restored. This makes you focus on words not yet memorized.

As each level contains quite a lot of words, the study set (number of words) can be limited. From the selected set, only the words valid for study (according to the chosen study mode) can be studied. Add more words if the number of due words is zero but you still want to move on.

Each time you start a new study, the selected words will be randomized. After the study session is over, you will see how many words you knew and also where you are in your goal to complete the level.

If you know the word by heart, then mark it as "known" and it will not be tested.

I feel it is very beneficial to see the kanji parts as well as this not only will help you distinguish words with same furigana spelling, but also teach you kanji "for free". It does not hurt to keep it on.

If you do not yet know furigana (hiragana and katakana), make sure to learn it. Very important for studying Japanese. However, until you have mastered furigana there is an option to display romanji spelling.

Remember, even if your goal is not to pass the JLPT, you still can learn tons of new Japanese words to use in your everyday life.


Have fun and keep studying.

Pros and cons of JLPT Study, 1-5 Level Kanji and Vocabulary Japanese Language Proficiency app for iPhone and iPad

JLPT Study, 1-5 Level Kanji and Vocabulary Japanese Language Proficiency app good for

Its really easy to used basically its a multiple choices exercise, you can improve in a really faster than using just books. Just there is no sound for how to pronounce (it for the price and huge around of word that understandable, so I leave 5 stars), but the is the kanji and kana writing which is great. I really improved my skill so thanks. And thanks your make two versions (iPad and iPhone), hope youll do it on the japanese 2000 app which is great too.
This is a very very good app and well worth the money. I found it easy to remember the meanings of the kanji, if not the readings. There should be a quiz for that too! Also, the multiple choice answers are just a random selection of other words/kanji from whatever level you are studying. It would be more helpful if the answers were similar sounding/looking, making it more challenging and difficult to guess. After all, that is how the questions will be presented in the actual JLPT exam.
Is this the best app of its kind? It might be. I used it years ago while Studying Japanese and now I came back to it. I have yet to find a Japanese learning app that is so complete (that includes both Kanji and vocab), with such a simple straight-to-the-point design and easy/fast learning drilling method. Amazing app, thank you.
Ive had this app for a while now, and I think its great but... *If there was an option to only test words with kanji, and to completely erase the furigana or hiragana and kanji side by side, that would be really helpful. In Japan, its not like hiragana is next to every kanji you see, and it helps reinforce the reading too rather than being lazy and seeing it adjacent to the character. *And / or an option in settings to completely remove moji testing. I find that theres a lot of focus on moji but not on the actual MEANINGS of the words. *The only reason I dont want to update this app is because of the background. The plain grey one was much easier for me to see and the options were clearer. Other than that... I pretty much use this app daily, and I reccommend it to almost every person I know studying Japanese. I find it REALLY useful for studying, and the concise meanings make the words easier to absorb. If there was an option for 4.8 stars, Id definitely give it that.
The first I think this app is very good for learning jlpt Japanese vocabulary. But Im Vietnamese so English meaning is not my mother language. I want to copy or select the meaning text to translate to my mother language. Better than i want to this app can modify the meaning text.
This is really good, but the kanji are presented in the same order ever! If I turn off the iPhone, I have to repeat all over the list of kanji to cntinue with new ones!

Some bad moments

Was hoping it would be better. Example sentences would be good.
The definitions are totally insufficient with no example sentences...YOU CANNOT EFFECTIVELY LEARN NEW VOCABULARY WITHOUT EXAMPLE SENTENCES. Just not enough effort has gone into producing this. "detail" for the kanjis gives no stroke order or "bushu" breakdown.
This is a decent app for learning spoken vocab but wont help you pass the JLPT, at least not the N1 or N2 level. The "vocabulary" function only gives you the words in hiragana, whereas you have to know them in kanji for the actual test. And individual kanji are not on the test either.
The app could be improved in a lot of ways. Some of the definitions are a little bit off or they dont offer multiple definitions for words that have multiple meanings. As for the kanji study section, kanji compounds should be used not just individual kanji, which doesnt help at all. Furthermore the example words they provide for the kanji sometimes dont include its most common uses. I wonder if a fluent Japanese speaker even had any input into the app at all. As it is, I think Im better off studying on my own.
This App and another App called JLPT SelfStudy are essentially one and the same, with very little difference other than the launch icon. Dont waste your money by getting both.
Been using this for a couple years and its been great. But now the app crashes every time whenever I finish studying a stack and then resets the stack. Extremely frustrating. Please fix!!!