Renshuu.org - Study Japanese Online

When do we find out our scores?

According to the various pamphlets and the actual application, it says within the month of March 2011.

Ah, also. Hello everyone, first post. I had an account here a while back but I guess with the site changes it was deleted. Will be taking the JLPT for the first time this year after holding back on it for 3. Hope to learn a lot.

That's the absolute latest though, I received mine at the beginning of February of 2010 online from December 2009' test last year and the certificate/scores in the mail a week after orso.

In typical FLALC fashion though, the online scores were taken down within a week due to "technical difficulties." Plan accordingly!

As for times, last year the Chicago test started at 12:40pm. Don't think it finished until about 4:30. (2008 the test started at 11:40) Be prepared to spend the day. By the time you get out and find your car, rush hour will be well underway. I got my results in mid-Feb.
Sorry, I'm not from Chicago; I'm a couple hours south. I didn't realize so many people on here were midwesterners either. Most of the active forum contributors seem to either be on the east coast or in Japan.

Sorry for yet another question, but I've never taken anything but the J-Test before.

How much does it cost for a certificate for JLPT N1?

If you pass, they send you the certificate for no extra cost. No matter what though, you have to pay the exam fee!

That's in the US though, if you want a certificate, I believe you have to pay extra in Japan, go figure.

The Japan Foundation site doesn't have much information, but does anyone have the address to the Georgia State University test site in ATL geooooorgia (where the players play)? I looked on google, but I'm pulling up several universities in Atlanta...

Driving up from South Florida.

Yay for the midwest! But I feel like I'm from all over the place since I've moved a lot. I read a post about people meeting up after the test? I'd like to be in on that, if there's room.

Yet another question:

Is the test on a computer, or is it on paper? Will I be filling tiny circles with a pencil?

From what I've read, its a multiple choice test on paper. So .... yes, you will probably be filling tiny circles with a pencil.

Yes, it's on paper. Yes, you will be filling in lots of tiny circles with a #2 pencil. Just like every other advanced test you will ever take. Not much fun, but that's the format they chose.

There seem to be about six of us headed to Chicago (for various levels), so if we can organize it, there should be plenty of room.

残念,私もパーティに行きたい！

Here are some sample tests :

http://www.jlpt.jp/e/samples/forlearners.html

Is the listening section with headphones, or is it broadcast from speaker?

I hope it's the former.

They have a boombox up front and play it that way, sadly.

Last year I was all the way in the back and got messed up by one guy shuffling his papers really loud.
Some of the questions all hinge on hearing one word in the whole conversation, so if you miss that, you are screwed. For example if you miss the か in かどうか, it makes a big difference

Wow, that is so unfair. I honestly can't believe they do it that way; I was expecting the testing environment to be similar to the TOEFL or GRE, with individual cubicles and headphones. I'll have to make sure I come early and sit up front.

I was pretty frustrated with that setup as well. They sat us alphabetically, so with my name, I was all the way at the edge of the room a few rows back. There were apparently some Georgetown students practicing their yelling skills in the room next door, so, perhaps needless to say, listening was my worst section by far. I can't let that happen this year with an even smaller margin of error allowed by the new format...

Now I remember! I had to sit in the back because your desks are labeled and my name is at the end of the alphabet! So you can't even pick a seat, they are assigned.

Better believe this year I will raise my voice and say I can't hear and need to get closer, not making the same mistake again.

They do play a test before the exam starts, it goes something like this "天気がいいから、さんぽうしましょう" about 5 times in a row.

Wow, I'll be penalized for having a last name at the end of the alphabet. Let's see:

1. Leaking personal and CC info -- check
2. Releasing test times no sooner than a month before the test -- check
3. Only having the test once a year in the U.S. -- check
4. Conducting the listening section with a stereo at the front of the room, so takers with last names that begin with "A" have the advantage and it just gets harder to hear from there -- check

Looks like all the bases are covered for making JFLALC seem like a mom-and-pop operation.

Edit: spelling