So, first off since I forgot to update, I passed level 2 of the J-Ken Practical Information test (no shock there; it was bleedingly easy).

In February 2008 I took the J-Ken Systems Information exam, which is actually 3 separate exams that make up one certification. I thought I was only going to pass the programming skills portion, but I actually passed the fundamental skills one as well. The only one I failed was the systems design, which I thought I didn’t have a prayer of passing.

Except… except… I failed by one point. ONE. POINT. Passing was 65/100 and I got 64. ONE QUESTION AND I WOULD NEVER HAVE TO TAKE THIS BLOODY TEST AGAIN. At least the only one I have to take next time is the systems design one; that’s one feature of the J-ken I really, really like. Passing one exam rolls it over to the next try, so you only have to keep bashing your head against the wall retaking the tests you haven’t passed.

I’ll see you in the fall, systems design exam!

As usual, I’ve been super busy.

I took the J-Ken Practical Information test (level 2) and passed. I’m expecting an 80-90% score on it. My friends say that I could have passed level 1 with no problems, but I’m glad I just stuck with level 2. It feels good to do well on one of those bloody tests.

Other than that, it’s been the same old grind: class, homework, AS duties, with occasional breaks where I hang out with friends. I had to give a 5 minute presentation on Wednesday for the AS. I’m actually pretty miserable at getting up in front of people and talking so it was pretty brutal, especially since I had to stand there and listen to criticism afterwards. But, hey, the only way to get better is to do these things so whatever.

I think I failed the big CS test we had on Thursday, partly because I didn’t have any time to study and partly because it was half math problems and I have trouble with those. I don’t feel that I got even 50% of the questions right, so I might have to retake it. These were actually student-made problems, and I think the math problems were harder than the ones on the real test are because those at least tend to be a little better with using intuitive numbers (calculators aren’t allowed). Oh well.

My winter break starts today, but I don’t think it’s going to be very restful. First off, I have a lot of homework. I already finished my CASL homework, but I have 100 CS problems to do, a 1 page report on something relating to the Showa period, two reports on what we would do with a DVD that had 1TB of memory (for a contest, which means we also give up our rights to the ideas we come up with… boo), and create a mini text-based RPG (I’m modeling mine after MUDs). And I need to find the time to do all that in between my my AS duties (I have a work shift Monday morning, a meeting with my group mates about the AS New Years’ party, etc) and other plans.

The next few weeks are going to be fun, but not exactly more restful than my normal schedule…

The results for the Systems Administrator (for those interested, it’s run by the IPA) test came out today.

Here were my results:
First Half: 580/800
Second Half: 570/800

A pass is 600/800 on both sections. If I had gotten like 2 or 3 more questions right on each section I would have passed. Let me just smack my head against the desk repeatedly. Well, it could have been worse. I just need to buckle down and study for the Fundamental Information Technology test.

In other news, we got our report cards in the mail a few weeks ago. I’m doing extremely well, which means a lot more to me than passing some lousy standardized test. Even if I need to pass the next lousy standardized test if I want to work in a Japanese gaming company.

First, for all of you wondering how the HAL-MODE FESTIVAL went, I did a writeup for Cerise: Seeing the Future of Game Design at the 2008 HMF.

The Systems Administrator exam is coming up on Sunday. I am so going to fail it. I’ve spent this week and last week doing nothing but preparing for the test, so I know a lot more about the subjects we need to know than I did before but passing is just not going to happen. And this is the last year for us to take this particular test because they’re retiring it. Oh well, at least I know how to better study for the Basic Information exam.

Today began what I’m going to call “Test hell”. I took all three of the tests that make up the Information System certification for the J-ken. I’m sure I failed all three (although I’m pretty sure I could have passed the programming if I had studied a bit), but that was a given. I did it mostly to get a feel for what the Systems Administration exam I’m taking in October will be like.

Next week, though, I have three school exams. They’re all based on the homework we did over the break. I’m so not worried about the CL one; as long as I don’t make stupid mistakes I could easily get 100% on it.

The AD and CS ones are more worrisome, though. My teacher says that he’ll be happy if we get 60%, but I got 44% and 54% (respectively) on the homework. And I didn’t study at all this weekend. And it wasn’t timed, so I could stare at the questions all I wanted. Oh well, I guess I’ll just hope that I get somewhere close to 60% and then do better at studying the material.

Wish me luck!

I should be worrying about the upcoming J-Ken, but instead I find myself thinking about the fact that I’m going to have to take a test before I can become employed. This is apparently standard practice for Japanese companies, and I know that big companies like Nintendo are notorious for having difficult math portions.

Are there any American companies that do this? I mean, most of my friends are employed and I have never heard of any of them having to take a test… not even those who are game programmers (which is where I’ll have to start out in all likelihood). Am I just that oblivious, or is it really just that Japan in particular believes the malarkey that tests are the best way to measure aptitude?