How I cleared 3 JLPT Levels in just 6 months

 Clear JLPT N3 in Just 6 Months — From Absolute Scratch 🇯🇵✨

If you’re starting Japanese from zero and wondering whether JLPT N3 in 6 months is even possible — let me tell you this straight:

👉 Yes, it is.

I started my journey on January 1st, 2025, with no prior knowledge of Japanese. No shortcuts, no miracle tricks — just consistency, the right strategy, and a lot of discipline.

This blog is my complete roadmap, mistakes included, so you can learn from it and plan your own preparation better.

Month 1: Starting From Zero (January)

I began with the absolute basics:

• Hiragana

• Katakana

• Basic numbers

• A few everyday words

This phase took me around 20 days of consistent studying and reading. I didn’t rush it — building a strong foundation early makes everything easier later.

By the end of January, I officially started my JLPT N5 syllabus using Minna no Nihongo. This was also the first time I encountered Kanji, which honestly felt scary at first.

Month 2: Completing N5 & Setting the Goal (February)

In February, JLPT July registration opened, and I took a bold decision — I registered directly for JLPT N3.

Yes, it was intimidating, but setting a big goal forced me to stay serious.

Throughout February, I followed Minna no Nihongo chapter by chapter, including:

• Grammar

• Vocabulary

• Listening practice

By the end of February, I had fully completed N5, listening included.

Month 3: First Exam & Entering N4 (March)

To test myself early, I registered for the NAT Q5 exam, which is almost equivalent to JLPT and is conducted every two months.

Since my N5 syllabus was done, I immediately started N4 preparation. By the time the exam arrived, I was already halfway through N4.

First Exam Experience — NAT Q5 (April)

The exam felt surprisingly easy.

The extra Kanji I learned from the N4 syllabus helped a lot.

💡 Important Advice

Always learn Kanji one level ahead of the exam you are appearing for.

This single habit made a huge difference throughout my journey.

Confidence Boost… But Reality Hits (May–June)

Since NAT exams happen every two months, I felt confident about Q4 as well.

But N3 was a completely different beast.

Why N3 Feels So Hard

• Massive jump from N4

• Vocabulary explodes

• Kanji count increases drastically

• Reading passages become long and tricky

By June, I wasn’t confident at all.

• JLPT N3 was just 30 days away

• NAT Q4 exam was in the 3rd week of June

• That left me with only 2 weeks for final JLPT prep

All I could do was stay consistent every single day.

NAT Q4 Exam & Results

I appeared for the Q4 exam, and within a week, the results were out.

Even after clearing it, I didn’t feel excited — because the real challenge (JLPT N3) was still ahead.

Those 2 weeks of hardcore vocabulary grinding saved me.

⚠️ One Honest Weakness

I am a slow reader.

So if there’s one thing I strongly recommend:

👉 Work on your reading speed early.

It can make or break your N3 score.

Exam Day: JLPT N3 (6th July 2025)

Section 1: Vocabulary & Grammar

Went smooth. My vocabulary preparation paid off.

Section 2: Reading (My Nightmare 😓)

This was bad.

• I spent too much time on the last two long passages

• Didn’t even get time to read the smaller ones

At that moment, I had already accepted defeat.

Section 3: Listening

It was okay-ish. Not great, not terrible.

By the end of the exam, I had already started planning for a December reattempt.

The Result (2 Months Later…)

And then the results came.

👉 I cleared JLPT N3.

Yes — borderline pass, but a pass is a pass.

The feeling was unreal. All the hard work, consistency, and sacrifices finally paid off.

Final Thoughts

If I can clear JLPT N3 in 6 months starting from scratch, so can you.

You don’t need to be brilliant. You just need to:

• Be consistent

• Trust the process

• Not give up when confidence drops

Want My Study Material?

If you want the exact study material I used, drop a comment saying:

“Study Material”

I’ll share everything with you.

💪 頑張ってください！