mockJLPT
The five JLPT levels, compared
From N5, where you read hiragana and simple sentences, to N1, where you follow editorials and lectures at natural speed.
| Level | Vocabulary and kanji | Test time | Pass mark | Study hours (typical) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | about 800 words, about 100 kanji | 90 minutes | 80 / 180 | 325 to 600 hours |
| N4 | about 1,500 words, about 300 kanji | 115 minutes | 90 / 180 | 575 to 1,000 hours |
| N3 | about 3,700 words, about 650 kanji | 140 minutes | 95 / 180 | 950 to 1,700 hours |
| N2 | about 6,000 words, about 1,000 kanji | 155 minutes | 90 / 180 | 1,475 to 2,600 hours |
| N1 | about 10,000 words, about 2,000 kanji | 165 minutes | 100 / 180 | 2,150 to 4,500 hours |
Vocabulary and kanji figures are estimates from the pre-2010 published lists; the JLPT no longer publishes official lists. Study hours are typical ranges: the lower end for learners with a kanji background, the upper end without.
Which level should you sit?
- N5 or N4 if you have finished a beginner textbook such as Genki I or Minna no Nihongo I (N5) or both volumes (N4). N4 is the level the Specified Skilled Worker visa accepts.
- N3 after roughly two years of steady study. It is the most-taken level in Japan and the entry bar for many part-time jobs.
- N2 is the working level: office jobs, vocational schools, 10 immigration points. Most people need one or two focused attempts.
- N1 for professional and academic settings, 15 immigration points, and the language requirement for medicine and nursing.
Basic Japanese: hiragana, katakana, everyday phrases and simple sentences.
Everyday Japanese: familiar topics, basic vocabulary and kanji, slow conversations.
The bridge level: everyday Japanese in a range of situations, newspaper headlines, natural-speed talk.
Working Japanese: newspapers, magazines, meetings and natural-speed conversation on a range of topics.
Advanced Japanese: complex writing, abstract discussion, and fast natural speech in any setting.
Full-length mock papers, built from sample questions
Full-length papers in the official booklet layout, with an answer key at the end. ¥900 per paper, delivered by email as a PDF within minutes. Try the free sample first.
Get the free sample paper See all papers