hmmm.....the exact same test is administered across the globe, so the best thing you can do is to take the test in Japan, hop on a plane, and take the test again in Hawaii!!!
but seriously, i was able to help my friend in San Francisco pass by e-mailing him a list of questions/kanji on the test during the breaks. they haven't actually gotten their act together enough to synchronize the test or to administer different tests for different time zones, so those abroad could benefit immensely by making friends in Japan with those taking the same level.....
Hmm, seems about time to start studying then! (笑)
I'm going for 2級 this year..why did I do that to myself?! Well, here's a couple of links that I found useful for 2級
Grammar explanations in English, and examples.
http://www.geocities.com/ryuchan1/grammar2.html
And for when my brain's not melted, grammar explanations and examples in Japanese, with loads of good info and help distinguishing between similar sentences.
http://ws.31rsm.ne.jp/~toolware/dictionary/dictionary.html
The only advice I have is to read loads - not necessarily to note down all the kanji that you don't know, rather just try to let things sink in and graudually you'll get used to sentence structures, what sounds wrong or right, and hopefully remember the meaning of kanji from context..
Wesu, I've thought about that in the past, but you're the first person I've heard of actually doing that. A worldwide test at the same time would surely be impossible, but yes, ideally there'd be different versions of the test.
Kat, thanks for the great links. Good luck with level 2 - just remember, it's good to push yourself and learn that little bit extra! I agree with your comments on reading as I've found it really helps (even if my writing is suffering).
Prapatang, many people are taking the JLPT so any special topics would be appreciated. Ideas for topics? How about what to concentrate on with the limited time remaining/exam technique/maximising your score. Or tips for people doing levels 3 and 4 who are not used to how the exam works?