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Which JLPT Level Should You Take? A Simple Way to Choose (N5 to N1)
The JLPT has five levels, N5 to N1. Here is what each level means, how the levels map to the CEFR, and how to pick the one that fits you.
Tap a highlighted Japanese word to see its reading and meaning.
In this article (6)
Picking the wrong level is one of the most common JLPT mistakes. Aim too low and the test tells you nothing new. Aim too high and you spend months on material you cannot use yet.
The good news is that the official JLPT site tells you what each level is meant to measure. This guide turns that into a simple choice.
What the five levels mean
The has five levels. N5 is the easiest and N1 is the hardest. According to the official summary, N4 and N5 cover basic Japanese mainly learned in class, N1 and N2 cover Japanese used in a wide range of real-life situations, and N3 is the bridge between the two groups.
| Level | What the official summary says (short version) | CEFR (for reference) |
|---|---|---|
| N5 | Understand some basic Japanese: typical phrases and sentences in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji | A1 |
| N4 | Understand basic Japanese: familiar daily topics, slow everyday conversation | A2 |
| N3 | Understand everyday Japanese to a certain degree: headlines, everyday texts, near-natural-speed conversation | A2 to B1 |
| N2 | Understand everyday Japanese and, to a degree, more varied situations: newspaper and magazine articles, news at close to natural speed | B1 to B2 |
| N1 | Understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances: editorials, critiques, lectures, and complex abstract texts | B2 to C1 |
The CEFR column is the official "for reference" mapping on the JLPT site. For N3, a total score of 95 to 103 is shown as A2 and 104 or higher as B1. For N2, 90 to 111 is B1 and 112 or higher is B2.
The JLPT measures reading and listening, plus vocabulary and grammar. It does not test speaking or writing. A high level does not mean you can speak well, and a low level does not mean you cannot.
How to choose: three questions
- Can you read hiragana and katakana without effort? If not, start with N5 material. Kanji comes next.
- Which sentence sounds like you? Use the table above. Choose the level whose reading and listening description you can almost do today. If it already feels easy, go one level up. If it sounds like a different language, go one level down.
- What do you need the level for? A job, a visa or a school may ask for a specific level. In that case work backwards from that level and its test date.
A useful rule of thumb: pick the level where you can follow most of a sample question with some effort. If you can answer almost everything easily, you are probably ready for the next level.
Approximate kanji and vocabulary
The JLPT does not publish official word lists. Many study guides give the rough figures below, so treat them as estimates only: about 100 kanji for N5, 300 for N4, 650 for N3, 1,000 for N2 and 2,000 for N1.
Not sure? Check for free
If you are between two levels, the free level finder on our JLPT test page is built from the official JLPT Can-do Self-Evaluation List. It takes about a minute, needs no email, and suggests a level to start from.
Common mistakes
- Choosing by ambition. Choose by what you can do now, then plan the climb.
- Skipping N3. N3 is the bridge level, and many learners find the jump from N3 to N2 big. That is a good reason to treat N3 as a real goal, not a step to rush past.
- Ignoring listening. Every level has a listening section with its own minimum score. We explain why this matters in why you can fail the JLPT with a high total score.
Next steps
Once you have picked a level, the next question is time. See how long it takes to pass each JLPT level for realistic study-hour ranges.