JLPT Levels Explained: N5 to N1
What each JLPT level means, test sections and timings, pass marks and scoring, how many words you need, and which level to aim for.
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (日本語能力試験, nihongo nouryoku shiken) is the Japanese test employers and schools usually mean when they ask for a level. There are five: N5 is the easiest and N1 the hardest. This page covers what each one means, how the test is run and marked, and which to aim for.
New to all this? There's a deck of 15 N5 starter words at the bottom. Go to the flashcards ↓
The five levels at a glance
The descriptions below summarise the official level summaries published by the JLPT.
| Level | What you can do | Test time | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Understands Japanese used in a wide range of situations: editorials, critiques, lectures and news at natural speed. | 165 min | 100 / 180 |
| N2 | Understands everyday Japanese and, to a degree, Japanese in a wider range of situations: newspaper articles, near-natural-speed news and conversation. | 155 min | 90 / 180 |
| N3 | Understands everyday Japanese to a degree: everyday texts and headlines, and conversations at close to natural speed. | 140 min | 95 / 180 |
| N4 | Understands basic Japanese: short texts on familiar topics and everyday conversation spoken slowly. | 115 min | 90 / 180 |
| N5 | Understands some basic Japanese: set phrases and sentences in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and short, slow conversations. | 90 min | 80 / 180 |
How the test works
- Who runs it: the Japan Foundation outside Japan and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) inside Japan.
- When: twice a year, on the first Sunday of July and of December in Japan. In 2026 the dates are 5 July and 6 December. Some cities outside Japan only hold one of the two, so check your local test centre.
- Format: every question is multiple choice, on paper. There is no speaking or writing section.
- One level per sitting: you choose your level when you apply. You don't need to pass N5 before taking N4.
Test sections
| Level | Language knowledge and reading | Listening |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | Vocabulary, grammar and reading (110 min) | Listening (55 min) |
| N2 | Vocabulary, grammar and reading (105 min) | Listening (50 min) |
| N3 | Vocabulary (30 min) · Grammar and reading (70 min) | Listening (40 min) |
| N4 | Vocabulary (25 min) · Grammar and reading (55 min) | Listening (35 min) |
| N5 | Vocabulary (20 min) · Grammar and reading (40 min) | Listening (30 min) |
Listening times can vary slightly with the length of the recordings. Listening is where many learners lose marks. Our topic tests include listening questions with Japanese audio set in everyday situations.
How scoring works
Every level is scored out of 180. To pass you need two things:
- The overall pass mark for your level (see the table above).
- A minimum score in each section. For N1 to N3 there are three scored sections (vocabulary and grammar, reading, listening), each out of 60 with a minimum of 19. For N4 and N5, vocabulary, grammar and reading are scored together out of 120 with a minimum of 38, and listening is out of 60 with a minimum of 19.
So a strong reader who bombs the listening can still fail, even with a high total. Scores are scaled, so they aren't a simple count of correct answers.
Since the December 2025 test, score reports also show a CEFR level for reference, which makes JLPT results easier to compare with European language levels.
How many words do you need?
The JLPT hasn't published official vocabulary or kanji lists since the test was redesigned in 2010. Every list you find online is unofficial, so word counts differ a lot from one source to another.
Ours are smaller than the big community lists. Every word is sorted by topic and has a reading, a meaning and example sentences. For words that appear in the widely used Tanos lists, our level matches theirs, apart from a few that share their spelling with another word. Words those lists don't cover, such as many of our business and medical terms, are levelled by us.
| Level | Words on JLPT Cards | Study |
|---|---|---|
| N5 | 350 | Word list · Flashcards |
| N4 | 263 | Word list · Flashcards |
| N3 | 427 | Word list · Flashcards |
| N2 | 374 | Word list · Flashcards |
| N1 | 535 | Word list · Flashcards |
Which level should you take?
- N5: your first goal once you can read hiragana and katakana. Nobody hires on N5, but having a date to work towards helps.
- N4: enough for daily-life basics. It's also one of the accepted Japanese tests for Japan's Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa, alongside the JFT-Basic test. Check the latest rules with Japan's Immigration Services Agency before relying on this.
- N3: the bridge between textbook Japanese and the real thing, and a common goal for people living in Japan.
- N2: the level many employers and universities in Japan ask for.
- N1: for translators, interpreters, and anyone who wants proof of advanced Japanese.
Test yourself
Start with N5
15 everyday N5 words. Tap a card to flip it. The full set is on the N5 word list.