JLPT
Five levels, one 180-point scale, and a sectional minimum that fails more people than the pass mark does. Here is what each level requires and how to work out which one you should be sitting.
Last reviewed
Pass marks and sectional minimums are official. Kanji, vocabulary and study-hour figures are community estimates — the JLPT has not published a content specification since the 2010 revision.
| Level | CEFR | Length | Pass mark | Kanji (est.) | Vocab (est.) | Hours (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | A1 | 1 h 30 min | 80 / 180 | ~100 | ~800 | 150–250 hours |
| N4 | A2 | 1 h 55 min | 90 / 180 | ~300 | ~1,500 | 300–450 hours |
| N3 | B1 | 2 h 20 min | 95 / 180 | ~650 | ~3,750 | 450–750 hours |
| N2 | B2 | 2 h 35 min | 90 / 180 | ~1,000 | ~6,000 | 600–1,000 hours |
| N1 | C1 | 2 h 45 min | 100 / 180 | ~2,000 | ~10,000 | 900–1,700 hours |
Level by level
The entry point. Hiragana, katakana, basic kanji and everyday classroom Japanese.
Basic Japanese across familiar daily topics — and the JLPT level accepted for the Specified Skilled Worker visa.
The bridge level. Everyday Japanese at near-natural speed, and the hardest jump for most learners.
The level most Japanese employers ask for. Newspapers, business email and broadcast Japanese.
Academic and abstract Japanese, read and heard at full native speed.
Scoring
Reaching the overall pass mark is necessary but not sufficient. You must also reach aminimum in every scoring section: 19 out of 60 for each section at N1, N2 and N3, and 38 out of 120 in the combined Language Knowledge · Reading band at N4 and N5, alongside 19 out of 60 in Listening.
So an N2 candidate can score 97 out of 180 — seven points clear of the pass mark — and fail because listening came in at 17. It happens every sitting, and it is almost always listening, because listening is the skill that responds to hours rather than to revision.
The JLPT also uses scaled scoring. Raw marks are converted through an equating process so that a given score means the same ability whichever paper you sat. One consequence: you cannot calculate your score by counting correct answers, and a practice-test percentage is a diagnostic rather than a prediction.
Choosing
Start from what you need the certificate to do.
Then check yourself honestly against it. The reliable test is not a vocabulary list: it is a timed mock test, sat cold. Most people register one level too high because recognising the words feels like being ready, and the exam asks you to use them at speed.
FAQ