Level guide · Updated September 2026

JLPT N3

The bridge level: everyday Japanese in a range of situations, newspaper headlines, natural-speed talk.

Can-do statement (official): Read and understand written material with specific contents about everyday topics, grasp summary information such as headlines. Follow coherent conversations at near-natural speed.

At a glance

Vocabulary	about 3,700 words
Kanji	about 650 kanji
Study hours	950 to 1,700 hours (lower end with a kanji background)
Test time	140 minutes
Pass mark	95 / 180; sectional minimums: 19 / 60 in each of language knowledge, reading and listening
Typical pass rate	around 40 to 45%

Sections and timing

言語知識（文字・語彙） Vocabulary	30 min
言語知識（文法）・読解 Grammar and reading	70 min
聴解 Listening	40 min

Question types

Every N3 paper follows the same layout. Learn what each 問題 asks and the paper stops being a surprise.

文字・語彙

問題1 漢字読み Kanji reading
問題2 表記 Orthography
問題3 文脈規定 Contextual words
問題4 言い換え類義 Paraphrase
問題5 用法 Usage

文法・読解

問題1 文の文法1 Grammar form
問題2 文の文法2 Sentence ordering ★
問題3 文章の文法 Text grammar
問題4 短文 Short passages
問題5 中文 Mid-length passages
問題6 長文 Long passage
問題7 情報検索 Information retrieval

聴解

問題1 課題理解 Task
問題2 ポイント理解 Point
問題3 概要理解 Summary
問題4 発話表現 Utterance (pictures)
問題5 即時応答 Quick response

Our bank currently holds 2,278 N3 questions from 23 past papers, tagged by the question types above.

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.

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Item counts per 問題 shift by one or two between sessions. Format checked against jlpt.jp in September 2026.