JLPT

Overview

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) measures and certifies the Japanese ability of people whose first language is not Japanese. It is organised jointly by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES): JEES runs the test inside Japan, and the Japan Foundation runs it abroad together with local host institutions. It is one of the largest language tests in the world, held in Japan and in a large number of other countries and regions each year.

The test does not include a speaking or writing section. It measures Japanese ability through three skills: vocabulary and grammar ("language knowledge"), reading and listening.

Who can apply

Anyone whose native language is not Japanese can apply, regardless of nationality, age or whether they have studied Japanese formally. There is no requirement to take the levels in order; a first-time test-taker can sit N1 directly if they judge their level correctly. Applicants inside Japan generally need a registered residence card to use the domestic application system; applicants outside Japan apply through the host institution for their city, listed on the official site.

Levels

The test has five levels, N5 (easiest) to N1 (most advanced). Each level is scored and certified on its own; there is no single combined "JLPT score" across levels.

N5

The ability to understand some basic Japanese. Readers can understand typical sentences and passages written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji. Listeners can catch necessary information from short conversations about daily life and the classroom, spoken slowly.

N4

The ability to understand basic Japanese. Readers can understand passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji. Listeners can follow the general content of conversations encountered in daily life, spoken slowly.

N3

The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. Readers can read slightly difficult writing about everyday topics and grasp the main point, and can pick out summary information such as newspaper headlines. Listeners can follow coherent everyday conversation spoken at close to natural speed. N3 sits between the basic N4/N5 pair and the advanced N1/N2 pair.

N2

The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and to some degree in a wider range of situations. Readers can follow newspaper and magazine articles and commentaries on a range of topics and understand the writer's intent. Listeners can follow coherent conversations, news reports and lectures spoken at near-natural speed in everyday settings.

N1

The ability to understand Japanese used in a wide variety of circumstances. Readers can follow logically complex or abstract writing such as newspaper editorials and critiques, and understand both structure and content. Listeners can follow coherent conversations, news reports and lectures spoken at natural speed across a broad range of settings, picking up detail such as relationships between speakers and the logical structure of what is said.

Exam pattern

Every level is tested in the same three skills. N5, N4 and N3 time the vocabulary section and the grammar-and-reading section separately; N2 and N1 run language knowledge and reading as one continuous section.

N2: language knowledge (vocabulary/grammar) and reading combined, 105 min; listening, 50 min; total 155 min.

N1: language knowledge (vocabulary/grammar) and reading combined, 110 min; listening, 55 min; total 165 min.

Vocabulary questions check kanji readings, word meaning and word usage. Grammar and reading questions check sentence grammar and comprehension of short to long passages. Listening questions are played once from recordings and check comprehension of spoken Japanese at a pace appropriate to the level.

Marking and results

N1, N2 and N3 are scored on three separate sections — language knowledge (vocabulary/grammar), reading, and listening — each out of 60, for a total out of 180. N4 and N5 combine language knowledge and reading into one section out of 120, with listening scored separately out of 60, also totalling 180.

A result counts as a pass only if both conditions are met: the total score reaches the level's pass mark, and every individual scored section reaches its own minimum. Scoring below the minimum in even one section fails the test, whatever the total.

Candidates who pass receive a Certificate of Japanese-Language Proficiency; everyone who sits the test, pass or fail, receives a score report showing their score in each section. A JLPT certificate does not expire, though individual employers, universities or visa procedures may ask for a certificate issued within a set number of years.

Important dates

For 2026, the JLPT is held twice: on Sunday, 5 July 2026 and Sunday, 6 December 2026. Japan and a number of other countries offer both sessions every year; some countries and regions outside Japan offer only one session a year, on either the July or the December date, depending on the local host institution. Not every level is necessarily offered at every test site on every date — check the host institution for your city.

Application windows differ by host institution. Inside Japan, registration runs through the MyJLPT portal roughly two to three months before each test date. Outside Japan, each city's host institution (a Japan Foundation office, a university, an embassy or a language-teachers' association) sets its own registration window and method; these are linked from the official overseas test-site list. Results for the July sitting are published online in Japan first, then for overseas sittings shortly after; results for the December sitting follow the same pattern roughly two months after that test date.

Fees

The fee is set independently by the host institution and varies widely by country. In Japan, the fee for 2026 is ¥7,500 (tax included) for any level, paid online through MyJLPT. Outside Japan the fee is set in local currency by the local host institution and can differ substantially between countries, so candidates should confirm the current fee on their host institution's own page rather than assume a fixed figure.

How to apply

1. Decide which level matches your current ability — levels do not have to be taken in order.

2. Find your test site: inside Japan, apply through the MyJLPT portal; outside Japan, find your city's host institution from the official overseas test-site list and follow its own registration process.

3. Register within that site's application window, upload a photo where required, and pay the fee.

4. Check the admission ticket or voucher the host institution issues, and bring the required identification to the test centre on the day.

Result use in Japan

A JLPT certificate is widely used as evidence of Japanese ability for study, work and immigration purposes in Japan, though the level required depends on the specific procedure, not on the test itself:

• Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa: most SSW job categories require either JLPT N4 or higher, or a pass in the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic), as the minimum language evidence; the caregiving category additionally requires a dedicated caregiving Japanese test.

• Work visas and university admission: N2 is commonly treated as the practical benchmark for engineer/humanities-type work visas and for admission to Japanese-language-medium university programmes, though individual employers and universities set their own exact requirement.

• Highly Skilled Professional (HSP) points-based visa: under Japan's points-based preferential immigration system for highly skilled foreign professionals, passing N1 adds 15 points and passing N2 adds 10 points toward the point totals that unlock preferential visa status and faster routes to permanent residency.

Preparation tips

1. Confirm your level honestly against the linguistic-competence descriptions above before registering, rather than by kanji or word counts alone.

2. Practise all three skills together — vocabulary/grammar, reading and listening — since a weak section can fail the whole test even with a strong total.

3. Time full-length past-style sections under exam conditions, since N1 and N2 run language knowledge and reading as one long continuous section with no break.

4. For listening, practise with audio played only once, since the real test does not repeat questions.