How to Tackle the Reading Section of the JLPT N3–N1
Translated from the Vietnamese original. View the original.
How to tackle the reading section of the JLPT N3–N1
Reading comprehension has its tricks too; if you know them, you can save a fair amount of wasted effort and time. Time and energy are limited, so choose the approach that works best for you.
Why is reading the hardest section?
+ It takes time and effort. You have to look at many kanji and concentrate hard, so it is easy to feel pressured and stressed.
+ You have to absorb too much information, so you can read and read and still not understand the question, the author's intention, the main point, etc.
+ You are forced to infer and catch the tricks or the passages where the examiner deliberately misleads you.
The steps I usually follow for reading
+ Step 1: Understand the reading question clearly.
What is the question asking about? (the author's implied meaning, a comparison of two passages, which sentence is closest in meaning or least consistent with the text…)
+ Step 2: Skim the answer options to get an overview.
+ Step 4: Read the passage and find the main points and keywords.
+ Step 5: Compare the answer options with the main points (the correct answer is usually a paraphrase close to the main point or keywords).
Tips for the reading section
+ Map out the structure of the test so you can allocate your time sensibly.
For example, the N1 structure is as follows:
Short passages (4 passages), 200 characters each, 8 minutes, 1 question about the author's intention or the main idea.
Medium passages (3 passages), 500 characters each, 18 minutes, 3 questions per passage, usually choosing the answer that explains the underlined part.
Long passage (1 passage), 1000 characters, 12 minutes, 4 questions about the underlined parts.
Integrated comprehension (1 item), 600 characters across 2 passages, 12 minutes, 3 questions comparing information between the two passages.
Thematic comprehension (1 passage), 1000 characters, 12 minutes, essay- or report-style text on science or daily life, 4 questions about the underlined parts.
Information retrieval (1 item), 700 characters, 8 minutes, 2 questions about finding information in the text; the easiest points to score.
+ The more vocabulary and kanji you understand deeply, the better.
+ Pay attention to the part before conjunctions (接続詞) such as それだから、なので、だから、そのため… and after conjunctions such as が～、ところが～、しかし～、ただし～、けれど～、けれども～、でも～、すなわち～、つまり～…
+ Distinguish between deductive and inductive passages.
+ Sometimes you do not need to read the examples.
+ Get used to the indirect, roundabout way Japanese writers express themselves.
+ The important part is never far from the underlined section.
+ For questions asking what それ、そういうこと… refers to, the important part is definitely before the underlined word.
+ Vocabulary that appears in the answer options often also appears in the passage to mislead the reader, but it is not the best answer and does not describe the overall picture of the whole text.
+ The same content expressed in several different ways in the passage is the main point, the author's opinion.
+ Learn as many synonyms as possible, because the answer is usually a paraphrase.
+ Avoid translating the whole passage into your native language.
+ An answer that is general, does not reuse vocabulary from the passage and uses different wording is usually the correct one.
+ There are often two similar answers that both look right. Stay alert and choose one of them. The more specific answer is usually wrong.
+ Remember the question asks for the author's opinion, not yours. Don't over-interpret.
+ Besides being good at Japanese, we need as broad a general knowledge as possible, plus logical reasoning skills!
=> Beyond that, nothing beats practising your exam technique thoroughly, everyone!
See also:
Important Connectives and Conjunctions for N2 Reading
92 Translated Short Passages (Tanbun N1) for JLPT N1 Reading