JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test)
Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES)
Other languageJapanese
A widely used test of Japanese for non-native speakers, used by some Japanese universities and employers. For undergraduate admission in Japan, universities often use the EJU instead of, or as well as, the JLPT.
Details
- Format
- Five levels, from N1 (hardest) to N5. Multiple-choice tests of language knowledge (vocabulary and grammar), reading and listening; there is no speaking or writing. Test time: N1 165 minutes, N2 155, N3 140, N4 115, N5 90.
- Scoring
- Total score 0–180 at every level. Pass marks: N1 100, N2 90, N3 95, N4 90, N5 80, and you must also reach a minimum in each section (for N1–N3, 19 points in each section). From the December 2025 test, score reports also show a reference CEFR level. Japanese-taught degree programmes that ask for the JLPT often look for N2 or N1.
- Results valid for
- The certificate never expires, but some schools and employers set their own time limits.
- How you take it
- On paper, with a multiple-choice answer sheet, at official test sites. It is held twice a year (in 2026: 5 July and 6 December); some cities outside Japan hold it only once a year.