<p>Hello 
I’m an 8th grader who takes private Japanese lessons. I’ve been taking them since February of 7th grade. I plan on taking the test in my senior year, but I don’t know if I’ll be ready in time. My teacher doesn’t really teach me much xP My high school doesn’t have any Japanese classes, because Japanese isn’t really commonly taught in American high schools 
There aren’t even really any review books for AP Japanese! No Barron’s, Princeton Review, Crash Course, etc. 
I’m not sure how I would carry on with this plan honestly. But I might as well try 
Here are some questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>How much Kanji should you know for the exam?</li>
<li>How many years of experience should a non-native speaker have?</li>
<li>What are some good books I could use for the exam?</li>
<li>Will I have enough time?</li>
<li>At about what JLPT level should you have passed to get a 5 on the AP exam?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much! I really appreciate it Any advice would be so helpful to me!</p>
I did the exact same thing as you! I started taking private Japanese lessons in sixth grade though and now I’m in 10th grade so its been a while. I plan on taking the test next year… I’ve heard that the test is super hard, so if you could, I’d recommend practicing with natives often or study abroad in Japan 9th, 10th, or 11th grade. I agree with skiurope about all of the points. The textbook progression I have used so far studying: Irasshai I > Irasshai II > Genki I > Genki II (<-- the AP-level book) > Kanzen Master N3. Btw, I would try to take the test before 12th grade so that it can help when applying to colleges. Also, take the JLPT tests starting from N5 to track your progression. Good luck!!</p>