The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) (日本語能力試験 nihongo nōryoku shiken) was created in 1984 in response to the increasing demand of students of the Japanese language to certify their proficiency. There are five levels: N5 (easiest) to N1 (hardest).
Application
The JLPT tests are held twice a year. In December all five levels can be taken but in July only the most difficult levels, levels 1 and 2, can be taken. The test date for winter is in December and the application period is usually September-October.
If you are interested in applying for the JLPT test, see for your nearest test center. Also ask about the application period and application fee as they differ in each country. The JLPT is offered in approximately 40 countries.
In Japan, the test is administered by the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) (財団法人 日本国際教育支援協会 zaidan hōjin nihon kokusai kyōiku shien kyōkai), , while the Japan Foundation (独立行政法人 国際交流基金 dokuritsu gyōsei hōjin kokusai kōryū kikin) administers overseas tests.
Criteria
Important note to students wishing to study in Japanese universities:
The JLPT certification was a requirement for entry into Japanese universities until 2003. The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) replaces JLPT as the requirement for university entry in Japan. More on this will be written on a separate page.
Test sections
| Level | Test section (test time) |
Total duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading (110 min) |
Listening (60 min) |
170 min | |
| N2 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading (105 min) |
Listening (50 min) |
155 min | |
| N3 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (70 min) |
Listening (40 min) |
140 min |
| N4 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (60 min) |
Listening (35 min) |
125 min |
| N5 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (25 min) |
Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading (50 min) |
Listening (30 min) |
105 min |
To pass the test, the test taker must be over the minimum overall score and also over the minimum score in each section. N1, N2 and N3 have three scoring sections, while N4 and N5 have two scoring sections.
| Level | Overall pass mark (180 points total) | Language knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar） | Reading | Listening |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N1 | 100 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| N2 | 90 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| N3 | 95 points | 19 points | 19 points | 19 points |
| Total possible | 180 points | 60 points | 60 points | 60 points |
| Level | Overall pass mark (180 points total) | Language knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar） / Reading | Listening |
|---|---|---|---|
| N4 | 90 points | 38 points | 19 points |
| N5 | 80 points | 38 points | 19 points |
| Total possible | 180 points | 120 points | 60 points |
Above tables from Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
Estimated Study Time
Study hour comparison data published by the Japanese Language Education Center:
| Level | Students with kanji knowledge
(e.g. speakers of Chinese or Korean) |
Other students
(no prior kanji knowledge) |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | 1700~2600 hours | 3000~4800 hours |
| N2 | 1150~1800 hours | 1600~2800 hours |
| N3 | 700~1100 hours | 950~1700 hours |
| N4 | 400~700 hours | 575~1000 hours |
| N5 | 250~450 hours | 325~600 hours |
Old test levels
In 2010, the test changed from four levels to five. Additionally, the criteria for passing the JLPT was changed, requiring a passing mark in all sections of the test, not just an overall passing mark. Some websites have not been updated to reflect this change, but the material on them for N5, N4, and N1 can be considered fairly reliable, since those tests are much the same as before.
| Year | Equivalent levels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Past - 2009 | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 | |
| ⬇ | ⬇ | ⬋ ⬊ | ⬇ | ||
| 2010 - present | N5 | N4 | N3 | N2 | N1 |
External links
- ↑ "JLPT Study Hour Comparison Data 2010-2015". The Japan Language Education Center. Archived from the original. Error: If you specify
|archiveurl=, you must also specify|archivedate=. http://www.studytoday.com/JLPT.asp?lang=EN. Retrieved November 5, 2015.