When you’re ready to test your Japanese knowledge, there’s only one real option: The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). It’s the most important and recognized Japanese language test in the world.
The JLPT is “THE” test to take whether you want to work in Japan, study at a Japanese university, or just check your progress. In this article, you’ll learn about the JLPT, its levels, structure, pass scores, and how to register for the test.
What is the JLPT?
The JLPT is a standardized test that measures how well you understand Japanese. It’s the number one Japanese test in the world. You can take the test twice a year: In the summer and winter. It also assesses your reading, listening, vocabulary, and grammar skills.
Why take the JLPT?
There are four main reasons why you might want to take the JLPT test.
First, if you want to work in Japan, you’ll need to pass the high-level JLPT tests. Unless companies see one of those certificates on your resume, you won’t get an interview.
The same goes for studying in Japan. If you want to join a program taught in Japanese at a Japanese university, you’ll need a JLPT certificate.
But what if you don’t have professional or academic ambitions? Well, you can take the JLPT to measure your progress. Passing the next level will give you a great sense of accomplishment and the motivation to keep studying.
The five JLPT levels
The JLPT has five levels, from N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest). Let’s look at each level in more detail. These Japanese language test levels have can-do statements that show you what you need to be able to do to pass the test.
1. N5 (Basic)
People who pass the N5 test can:
- Understand basic Japanese used in everyday situations
- Read basic sentences written in hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji
- Understand about 100 kanji and 800 vocabulary words
- Understand simple conversations about common topics
- Get information from short, slowly-spoken conversations
2. N4 (Elementary)
People who pass the N4 test can:
- Read and understand passages on familiar daily topics written in basic vocabulary and kanji
- Understand about 300 kanji and 1,500 vocabulary words
- Listen and understand everyday, slowly-spoken conversations
3. N3 (Intermediate)
People who pass the N3 test can:
- Read and understand passages on everyday topics, even if they include unknown words and phrases
- Understand summaries of longer texts, such as newspaper headlines
- Understand about 600 kanji and 3,000 vocabulary words
- Listen and understand everyday conversations spoken at near-natural speed
4. N2 (Pre-Advanced)
People who pass the N2 test can:
- Read and understand texts about a variety of topics, including newspaper articles
- Understand about 1,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words
- Listen to and understand conversations and news reports at nearly natural speed
5. N1 (Advanced)
People who pass the N1 test can:
- Understand Japanese used in a wide range of circ*mstances
- Read and understand complex and abstract written materials, including newspaper editorials and critiques
- Understand about 2,000 kanji and 10,000 vocabulary words
- Understand both academic and professional texts and discussions
- Listen to and understand conversations, news reports, and lectures at natural speed
Which test should you take?
If you want to take the JLPT for personal reasons, take whichever test you like. There are no rules around which test you can take. Of course, if you’ve only been studying for a few months, maybe don’t take the N1 test. But that said, don’t be afraid to take a test that you think is difficult. Even if you don’t pass, you’ll get some great practice.
If you want to work in Japan, take the test your profession requires. N3 will allow you to work in jobs that don’t require complicated conversations, such as truck driving, retail, or hospitality.
N2 is the minimum level to work in a 100% Japanese environment with more complicated language, such as web development or HR.
The JLPT structure
The JLPT tests three main skills:
- Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) tests your Japanese vocabulary and grammar.
- Reading assesses your ability to understand written Japanese. You’ll read various texts, from simple messages to complex articles, and answer questions about their content.
- Listening assesses your ability to understand spoken Japanese. You’ll hear conversations and monologues at different speeds and levels of formality. You’ll need to understand the content and sometimes infer meaning from context.
The structure for the levels changes slightly: In the lower levels Language Knowledge is split. You’ll do a standalone vocabulary test and do grammar at the same time as reading. In the higher levels, you’ll do vocabulary and grammar together with reading.
Note: The JLPT doesn’t test your communication skills. There are no speaking or writing sections, which is a serious limitation of the test.
How long does the test take?
The JLPT is a long test, especially when you get to the higher levels. Here’s how long you’ll spend on each section at each level.
N5 is a total of 90 minutes.
- Vocabulary: 20 minutes
- Grammar and Reading: 40 minutes
- Listening: 30 minutes
N4 is a total of 115 minutes.
- Vocabulary: 25 minutes
- Grammar and Reading: 55 minutes
- Listening: 35 minutes
N3 is a total of 140 minutes.
- Vocabulary: 30 minutes
- Grammar and Reading: 70 minutes
- Listening: 40 minutes
N2 is a total of 155 minutes.
- Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading: 105 minutes
- Listening: 50 minutes
N1 is a total of 165 minutes.
- Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading: 110 minutes
- Listening: 55 minutes
How to pass the JLPT
JLPT scoring is a little complicated, so let’s look at how to pass the tests.
To get a JLPT passing score, you need to do two things. 1) You need to get a high enough total score. 2) You need to achieve a minimum score in each section.
If you get a high total score but miss the minimum score on one section, you’ll fail the test. But don’t worry, as you’ll see below, the sectional scores aren’t too hard to hit, so it’s unlikely this will happen.
Here are the points you need at each level:
- N5: Total score of 80/180. 38/120 on the Language Knowledge and Reading tests. 19/60 on the Listening section.
- N4: Total score of 90/180. 38/120 on the Language Knowledge and Reading tests. 19/60 on the Listening section.
- N3: Total score of 95/180. 19/60 on the Language Knowledge section. 19/60 on the Reading section. 19/60 on the Listening section.
- N2: Total score of 90/180. 19/60 on the Language Knowledge section. 19/60 on the Reading section. 19/60 on the Listening section.
- N1: Total score of 100/180. 19/60 on the Language Knowledge section. 19/60 on the Reading section. 19/60 on the Listening section.
Note: You’ll get your score two to three months after taking the test.
Registering for the test
To take the JLPT, you need to register in advance. Here’s how:
- Check the test schedule: The JLPT is usually held in July and December. Check the officialJLPT website for dates in your country.
- Choose your test site: Select the test location closest to you.
- Register online: Fill out the registration form on the JLPT website or through the local administering organization in your country.
- Pay the fee: The test fee varies by country. Make sure to pay before the deadline.
- Receive your test voucher: You’ll receive a test voucher after registration. Keep this safe – you’ll need it on test day.
Test your Japanese knowledge with the JLPT
The JLPT is the world’s most recognized and important Japanese proficiency test. If you want to work or study in Japan, you should seriously consider taking the N2 or N1 tests. Even if you don’t have such ambitions, taking the JLPT is a great way to check your progress.
When you’re ready to get serious about passing the JLPT, do someJLPT prep with anonline Japanese tutor.
