So you Failed the JLPT by 1 Point
The worst thing just happened. You failed the JLPT. As if that wasn’t bad enough, you failed it in the worst way possible – by 1 point. That’s one question. One mistaken circle sealed your fate. One baby misstep turns a year of happiness into a year of frustration and regret.
There’s no getting around it: it feels horrible. But there are some things you should consider.
What does failing by a tiny margin mean?
Failure is failure. Passing is passing. It’s a harsh world.
But remember, the pass/and fail score is pretty arbitrary. It needs to be set somewhere that there are people who pass and fail, otherwise it isn’t a test and serves no meaning.
However, does the person who passes by a few points and the person that fails by few points have any difference in ability? I highly doubt it. The reality of a marginal failure is purely based on a scoring system that has to have a cut off point. Not whether you deserved to pass.
What does this fail actually mean?
Positive words at this stage may either be helpful or annoying.
“Don’t worry – it’s no big deal!”
“You almost passed – that’s the same thing as passing!”
“You’ll do better next time.”
“You’re awesome!”
This doesn’t help the mental hurt. You already know that 1 point means you pretty much passed. But knowing and what you are feeling will not align.
The important question you need to ask yourself is what was the purpose of you taking the JLPT. There are legitimate reasons you need to pass the JLPT. Most of these involve living and working in Japan, where jobs often require it and it expedites the visa process. Failing by 1 point means you didn’t meet the requirement, and it really does suck.
But if that’s not your situation, it shouldn’t be as big a hit. Because it doesn’t prevent you from moving forward.
The challenger wins long term
Most people don’t know which of the five JLPT levels to take. There are guidelines based on how much and how long you’ve studied for, but these are only estimates. You make a decision based on this and pick a level.
People tend to choose the safer route. No one wants to fail. If you decided to take a risk and choose a level that you think is going to put you out of your comfort zone, that makes you one thing: a challenger. Someone who wants to constantly test their limits, and see how far they can go.
You might think getting a high score on a level feels great. You pass at the peak of the exam. This might be fine for the the highest level (JLPT N1). But ask yourself which should feel better:
- Passing JLPT N2 with a very high score
- Failing JLPT N1 by 1 point
Regretting your 1 point failure? There are just as many people who passed but regret that they didn’t choose a higher level.
Anyone experience few-point-failures?
How did you handle it? How did you make a comeback?
Founder of Jalup. iOS Software Engineer. Former attorney, translator, and interpreter. Still watching 月曜から夜ふかし weekly since 2013.
I initially took the JLPT 1 and failed by 3 points, then took the JLPT 2 and passed by 3 points. I don’t know why the margin was so weird between the two, but I guess if I were to take the JLPT 1 again with my present skills, I’d pass with at least one point. I’m hoping. Haha. I don’t think the skills of the people who pass or fail by one or two points are any different. I hate looking at scores for this reason: If I pass, I pass. If I fail, I do it again until I succeed. It’s just a benchmark, after-all.
Exactly. The score is just a number – just a benchmark.
I can get behind the challenger mindset. It’s the main reason why I decided to target the JLPT N2 this December. A brief look at the material between N3 and N2 was the deciding factor. With N3, I could see myself passing with a good margin, but with N2, my fate was up in the air. Luckily, I did manage to pass, albeit barely!
I remember in school my calculus teacher said if you pass calculus on your first try, then you are a smart person. If you pass it on your second try, you are still a smart person. If you pass it on your third try, then you are still a smart person. Because calculus is tough and even if it takes you awhile to understand it, you are still understanding a very difficult subject and there is nothing to be ashamed of.
I see learning a new language like that. We are talking about years of studying here to reach your goal and it is something people fail at all the time. Heck just taking the test is an achievement. How many people try to learn Japanese and never get to the point where they can string together more than a couple of sentences? It would definitely suck to fail like that, but it is also an accomplishment in itself.
Sounds like a very good calculus teacher!
Taking it a step further, even just attempting Japanese is already a step up from most people who want to but don’t even try.
I just failed BE by 1 point (89 / 180), I wonder if I can claim somehow to pass lol