Learn Hardcore Japanese: nihongo no siken ni goukakusuru tame ni, mainiti bunpou no rensyuumondai wo tokimasu. - In order to pass the Japanese exam, I solve grammar practice exercises every day.

The thing you pass (the exam, test, audition, etc.) is marked with に, not を.
So you say:
- 試験に合格する – to pass an exam
- 入学試験に合格する – to pass the entrance exam

Using 試験を合格する is ungrammatical in standard Japanese, because 合格する does not take a direct object with を.

There are two に in 試験に合格するために. Do they mean the same thing?

They are different:

試験に合格する
- This に marks the target of the verb 合格する.
- “to pass the exam” → 試験に合格する
合格するために
- Here, ため is a noun meaning “sake / purpose”, and に marks it like “for the purpose of”.
- “for the purpose of passing (the exam)” → 合格するために

So the structure is:

[試験に合格する] ために
“in order to [pass the exam]”

Why is it 合格するために and not 合格しますために?

Before ために (when it means “in order to”), you use the dictionary/plain form of the verb, not the polite form.

Correct: 合格するために、〜
Incorrect: 合格しますために、〜

This is a general pattern:

日本へ行くために、お金を貯めています。
健康を保つために、運動します。

Even if the main verb is polite (〜ます), the verb before ために stays in dictionary form.

What exactly does ために mean here, and is it always “in order to”?

In this sentence, 〜ために expresses purpose:

日本語の試験に合格するために、毎日文法の練習問題を解きます。
→ “I solve grammar practice problems every day in order to pass the Japanese exam.”

ために has two main uses:

Purpose / intention (what you want to achieve)
- Verb in dictionary form: V-る + ために
- Example: お金を貯めるために、アルバイトをしています。
Reason / cause
- Often with past tense, adjectives, or nouns: V-た / Aい / Aな / N + ために
- Example: 事故のために、電車が遅れました。
  (“Because of the accident, the train was delayed.”)

Here, it's clearly the purpose meaning.

What is the difference between ために and ように in a sentence like this? Could we say 試験に合格するように?

Both can appear in similar-looking sentences, but the nuance differs:

V-る + ために
- Strong, direct purpose: you actively do something to achieve a goal.
- Used for things you can intentionally work toward.
- 試験に合格するために、毎日勉強します。
  “I study every day in order to pass the exam.”
V-る / V-ない + ように
- Often used when the result is not entirely under your control, or when you’re describing a kind of “so that / in such a way that” situation.
- Also used after verbs like 祈る, 願う, 気をつける, etc.
- 試験に合格するように、毎日勉強しています。
  → Feels like “I’m studying every day so that (hopefully) I’ll pass the exam.”

In practice, for exams, both can appear, but ために sounds more like a straightforward, goal-oriented statement of purpose, which fits this sentence well.

Why is it 日本語の試験 and not 日本語試験 or 日本語を試験?

日本語の試験 uses の to link two nouns:

日本語 (Japanese language)
試験 (exam)

日本語の試験 literally = “exam of Japanese” → “Japanese exam”.

日本語を試験 is wrong because を marks a direct object of a verb, not a noun–noun relationship.
日本語試験 (without の) is possible as a compound noun, but:
- It sounds more like a set phrase or official exam name.
- 日本語の試験 is more neutral and clearly shows “a test of Japanese (language).”

So both 日本語の試験 and 日本語試験 can exist, but 日本語の試験 is safer and more learner‑friendly.

In 文法の練習問題, what does の mean? Is it like possession?

Here の links 文法 (grammar) and 練習問題 (practice problems/tasks):

文法の練習問題 = “practice problems of grammar” → “grammar exercises”

This の can indicate several relationships between nouns, including:

topic/field: 数学の問題 – math problems
content: 歴史の本 – a history book (a book about history)
possession/association: 日本の文化 – Japanese culture

So you can think of 文法の練習問題 as “practice questions about grammar.”

Why is 毎日 placed after ために? Could I put 毎日 at the beginning instead?

Yes, you can move 毎日; Japanese word order is flexible with adverbs like time expressions.

Original:

日本語の試験に合格するために、毎日文法の練習問題を解きます。

Possible alternatives:

毎日、日本語の試験に合格するために、文法の練習問題を解きます。
日本語の試験に合格するために、文法の練習問題を毎日解きます。

All are grammatically correct. The differences are subtle:

Putting 毎日 early (毎日、〜) emphasizes the frequency first.
Putting 毎日 right before what it modifies (毎日文法の練習問題を解きます) is very natural and clear: “I solve grammar practice problems every day.”

Why is を used with 練習問題を解きます? What is being treated as the object?

Here, 解く is a transitive verb, meaning “to solve / work out (a problem)”.

The thing you solve is the direct object, marked by を.
練習問題を解きます = “(I) solve practice problems.”

Other similar patterns:

問題を解く – solve a problem
パズルを解く – solve a puzzle
宿題をする – do homework (different verb, but same idea of を marking the object)

Why is the verb 解きます used here instead of します or やります?

解く specifically means “to solve / to work out (problems, puzzles, questions)”. It’s the most natural verb for problems/questions in tests and exercises.

練習問題を解く – solve/do practice questions
テストの問題を解く – work through test questions

You could say:

練習問題をします / やります – “do the practice problems”

These are understandable and sometimes used, but:

解く focuses on figuring out the answer, solving.
する / やる is more general “do”.

In a study context, 問題を解く is the standard expression.

Why is the verb in 解きます in polite form? Could it be 解く instead?

解きます is the polite (ます) form, used in:

polite conversation with people you’re not very close to
textbooks
formal/written explanations

You can change the politeness level:

Polite: 解きます
Plain/dictionary: 解く

So for a casual diary or talking to yourself, you could say:

日本語の試験に合格するために、毎日文法の練習問題を解く。

The grammar is the same; only the politeness level changes.

What is the difference between 合格する and 受かる for “to pass (an exam)”?

Both can mean “to pass (an exam)”, but:

合格する
- Sino‑Japanese, more formal / neutral.
- Common in official contexts, announcements, written language.
- 試験に合格する – to pass an exam.
受かる
- Native verb, more casual / conversational.
- You’ll hear it a lot in everyday speech.
- 試験に受かる – to pass an exam.

So you could say, more casually:

日本語の試験に受かるために、毎日文法の練習問題を解きます。

But in textbooks and formal writing, 合格する is very standard.

Why is there a comma (、) after ために? Is it required?

The comma 、 separates the purpose clause from the main action:

日本語の試験に合格するために、　→ purpose clause
毎日文法の練習問題を解きます。 → main clause

This comma is:

Recommended for readability.
Not strictly required grammatically; you could write it without a comma, but it would be harder to read:
- 日本語の試験に合格するために毎日文法の練習問題を解きます。

In practice, Japanese writing often uses 、 to break sentences into logical chunks, much like commas in English.