Did anyone have a similar experience?
I started studying Japanese at the end of 2024. I began taking weekly lessons (1 hour/week) because I couldn’t stay consistent on my own. I started focusing more seriously around September 2025 (on average a couple of extra hours per week on top of the lesson), with the goal of passing the JLPT N4 in December.
Unfortunately I didn’t pass, even though I technically passed each section individually, my overall score wasn’t enough.
Since I have an engineering background, I tend to study in a way that prioritizes understanding over pure practice. Failing N4 made me realize my main issue is indeed practice: in particular I’m too slow at reading and listening.
Right now I’m studying more consistently: I started using Anki and the RTK method, and I’m making steady progress. The one thing I’m still not doing much of is immersion, mostly because I find it boring.
Has anyone gone from a similar situation to passing N3? Any tips, study strategies, or personal experiences would be really appreciated.
by External-News3510