What N5, N4, N3, N2 and N1 certify, how the test is scored, and how many words each level takes, with a free word list and practice test for each.
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test has five levels, numbered the reverse of what you might expect: N5 is the first and easiest, N1 the highest. Each level is a separate exam; you choose one and sit it, there is no placement test and nothing stops a beginner from booking N3. The levels were redrawn in 2010, when the old four-level test became five: N4 and N5 match the old levels 3 and 4, N1 and N2 match the old 1 and 2, and N3 was added as the bridge between them, which is why the jump from N4 to N2 used to be the notorious one.
| Level | What it certifies | Words you need | Free on this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | You can read hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and follow slow, short classroom-style conversations on everyday topics. | about 800 words and 100 kanji | JLPT N5 list, 703 wordsN5 practice test |
| N4 | You understand basic Japanese: everyday passages in simple vocabulary and kanji, and conversations spoken slowly. | about 1,500 words and 300 kanji | JLPT N4 list, 655 wordsN4 practice test |
| N3 | You understand everyday Japanese to a degree: newspaper headlines, slightly harder text with help, and near-natural-speed conversation. | about 3,700 words and 650 kanji | JLPT N3 list, 2,135 wordsN3 practice test |
| N2 | You handle Japanese in everyday situations and a range of circumstances: articles and commentaries, and natural-speed talk on varied topics. | about 6,000 words and 1,000 kanji | JLPT N2 list, 1,756 wordsN2 practice test |
| N1 | You understand Japanese in a wide range of circumstances: logically complex writing, abstract topics and natural speech in full. | about 10,000 words and 2,000 kanji | JLPT N1 list, 2,656 wordsN1 practice test |
Sections. N5 and N4 have three parts: Language Knowledge (vocabulary), Language Knowledge (grammar) with Reading, and Listening. N3, N2 and N1 have two: Language Knowledge (vocabulary and grammar) with Reading, and Listening. Every question is multiple choice, marked on an answer sheet; there is no speaking or writing section at any level.
Scoring. Every level is scored out of 180 using scaled scores, so a raw count of correct answers is not the score you receive. Two conditions decide a pass: an overall mark at or above the level's pass line, and a minimum in every section. The pass lines are 80 for N5, 90 for N4, 95 for N3, 90 for N2 and 100 for N1; the sectional minimum is 19 out of 60 per section (38 out of 120 for the combined language and reading section at N5 and N4). Fail one section and the whole level is failed, however high the total.
Sittings. The JLPT is held twice a year, in early July and early December, in Japan and in most countries abroad; some test sites offer only one of the two. Registration closes months in advance and results arrive about two months after the test. Dates, fees and sites are on the official JLPT site and change by year, so check there before planning.
The JLPT publishes no vocabulary or kanji lists and no official counts since the 2010 revision. The numbers everyone quotes come from the pre-2010 guidelines mapped onto the new levels: roughly 800 words for N5, 1,500 for N4, 3,700 for N3, 6,000 for N2 and 10,000 for N1, cumulative. The Lock&Learn lists follow the widely used community sets built from those guidelines and later exams, and they count only the words that are new at each level: 703 for JLPT N5, 655 for JLPT N4, 2,135 for JLPT N3, 1,756 for JLPT N2, 2,656 for JLPT N1. Add the levels below yours to get a total.
How long that takes depends on where you start. Learners from languages with no kanji commonly report 300 to 450 hours of study for N5, 600 to 900 for N4, 900 to 1,300 for N3, 1,600 to 2,200 for N2 and 3,000 to 4,000 for N1, counted from zero. Those are typical ranges from language schools, not official figures; a Chinese speaker, who already reads the characters, moves much faster.
Take the level whose vocabulary you already mostly know. The free N5 practice test and its siblings for each level show where you stand in two minutes: fourteen of twenty right on a level's test means its word list is not going to be the problem. If you fall short at N5, start there; if N5 is easy, try the N4 test before booking.
N1 is the hardest and N5 the easiest. The numbering runs downwards: N5 is the entry level, N1 the top. This trips up many first-time candidates, especially since the old test before 2010 numbered its levels 4 (easiest) to 1 (hardest) the same way.
Most employers hiring for roles conducted in Japanese ask for N2, and N1 for roles that involve formal writing or client contact. N3 is enough for many service and technical positions where English is also used. Requirements vary by company, so treat the level as a filter on job listings rather than a rule.
Roughly 800 for N5, 1,500 for N4, 3,700 for N3, 6,000 for N2 and 10,000 for N1, cumulative. The JLPT itself publishes no counts; these are the widely used estimates the community lists are built on. The Lock&Learn lists hold the words new at each level, which you can read free on this site or learn one at a time on your Lock Screen.
No. The JLPT tests reading and listening only, through multiple-choice questions. There is no speaking or writing component at any level, which is one reason employers sometimes interview in Japanese as well as asking for a certificate.
Yes. The app is free on iOS: JLPT N5 is free, every other pack opens with a free preview, and another word unlocks daily. Lock&Learn+ is an optional upgrade that opens every pack at once, offered as a yearly plan or a one-time lifetime purchase.