Best Japanese Language Proficiency Test guide book

[tydin]

あいさつ みな! I am planing to participate in this year's JLPT; I have been working very hard to learn everything I need to know to pass level 3. I have gone over the requirements and deiced it would be best to buy a guide book. I notice quite a few in The Japan Shop, so I have to ask, which is the best?

Also, I bought the"Oxford Japanese Grammar and Verbs" book, do you think that would give me sufficient knowledge as far as grammar?

[Pork Chop]

The new N3 or the 3級 of old?
As far as I know there are no books yet on the N3 test.
Half tempted to take it this year because I know I'm not going to be ready for N2.

[clay]

ALC has actually published one or two books for the new N3 called:
耳から覚える日本語能力試験語彙トレーニング　シリーズ
(I think there is one for grammar too, but I'm not sure)

We will get our stash in sometime in April, but it is available in Japan now.

My feeling is (after talking to various people in the business) most big publishers (ALC, Bonjinsha, 3A, etc) are holding out until after the first test is released. The test makers decided to not publish a full specs book on the tests. I guess ALC has some inside info to be able to produce a N3 book now.

[tydin]

I guess I would be talking about N3.
Here is a list of all the books in the Japan shop for this level.
http://www.thejapanshop.com/home.php?cat=264 So, which of these is the best?

[Pork Chop]

I guess I would be talking about N3.
Here is a list of all the books in the Japan shop for this level.
http://www.thejapanshop.com/home.php?cat=264 So, which of these is the best?

those are the N4 books.
if you're taking the N4 I'd recommend the orange Unicom book, it's really all you'll need.
If you're gonna do N3, you'll probably at least want some of the 2級 books, Unicom (i think there are 3 or 4 of them) and Kanten come highly recommended.