The JLPT, the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, is the largest Japanese test in the world. The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) have run it since 1984, and employers use its results when they hire and promote people. The July 2026 test had 943,671 applicants, in 62 countries and areas outside Japan and in all 47 of Japan's prefectures. It tests vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening, and it has no speaking or writing section.
Bubblegum is a language app with hiragana and katakana courses, plus Japanese lessons at your level. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes the lessons about things you enjoy, and you can try one further down.
What Are the JLPT Levels?
The JLPT has five levels. N5 and N4 test the basic Japanese you learn in class, N2 and N1 test the Japanese people use in everyday life, and N3 bridges the two. You choose one level when you sign up, and you either pass that level or you don't.
- N5
Basic
You can read typical phrases and sentences in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and catch key facts in short, slow conversations.
- 90 minutes
- Pass: 80 of 180
- N4
Basic
You can read passages on familiar topics in basic vocabulary and kanji, and follow everyday conversations spoken slowly.
- 115 minutes
- Pass: 90 of 180
- N3
Bridge
You can read everyday texts and newspaper headlines, and follow near-natural conversations about everyday things.
- 140 minutes
- Pass: 95 of 180
- N2
Real-life Japanese
You can read clear newspaper and magazine articles, and follow conversations and news at nearly natural speed.
- 155 minutes
- Pass: 90 of 180
- N1
Real-life Japanese
You can read editorials and complex writing on many topics, and follow lectures, news and conversations at natural speed.
- 165 minutes
- Pass: 100 of 180
The minutes are the test sections added together. Every level is scored out of 180, so a passing score at N2 is lower than at N3 even though N2 is harder.
What Is on the Test?
Each level has two or three test sections. You also need a minimum score in every scoring section, so you won't pass if one section is too low, even with a high total.
| Level | Test sections (minutes) | Minimum in each scoring section |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | Vocabulary, grammar and reading (110), listening (55) | 19 of 60 in each: language knowledge, reading, listening |
| N2 | Vocabulary, grammar and reading (105), listening (50) | 19 of 60 in each: language knowledge, reading, listening |
| N3 | Vocabulary (30), grammar and reading (70), listening (40) | 19 of 60 in each: language knowledge, reading, listening |
| N4 | Vocabulary (25), grammar and reading (55), listening (35) | 38 of 120 in language knowledge and reading, 19 of 60 in listening |
| N5 | Vocabulary (20), grammar and reading (40), listening (30) | 38 of 120 in language knowledge and reading, 19 of 60 in listening |
The JLPT doesn't publish official word, kanji or grammar lists. It says the test checks what you can do with Japanese, and it points learners to its level descriptions and sample questions.
When Is the JLPT in 2026?
The JLPT runs twice a year on the same Sunday around the world. In 2026 those days are July 5 and December 6. Some cities outside Japan hold only one of them.
| First test | Second test | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 date | Sunday, July 5 | Sunday, December 6 |
| Sign-up outside Japan (usual timing) | Around March to April | Around August to September |
| Results outside Japan (usual timing) | Around September | Around March |
Outside Japan, you sign up and pay the fee at the local host institution in your city, and sign-up dates differ from city to city. Check your city on the official list of test cities.
How to Prepare with Comprehensible Input
On test day you only read and listen, so most of your study time can go to comprehensible input. That's Japanese you can follow from start to finish, with a new word here and there.
- Choose Your LevelRead the level descriptions above and choose the one a little past what you can do today.
- Read and Listen OftenFind Japanese stories or dialogues with audio, where most words are ones you know. Listen once, then read the text as you listen again.
- Try the SamplesWork through the official sample questions for your level, including the listening audio, a few weeks before the test.
This lesson is about the polite Japanese you use at work, in emails and in meetings. Pick the level where the Japanese feels mostly clear, and tap any word you don't know.
Polite Japanese at Four Levels
From Bubblegum’s guide Polite Japanese at Work: Keigo, Emails, and Meetings. It works here the way it works inside Bubblegum.
I can handle simple exchanges.
Greeting a New Colleague
Sato meets a new employee at the company.
Good morning. You will be starting as an employee today, right?
Yes, I am Suzuki. Allow me to introduce myself.
Yes, please go ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions About the JLPT
Does the JLPT show a CEFR level?
Yes. Since the December 2025 test, score reports for people who pass show a CEFR level as a guide. For example, an N2 total of 112 or more shows B2, and an N1 total of 142 or more shows C1. It covers reading, listening and language knowledge only.
Does a JLPT certificate expire?
No. The JLPT says its certificates never expire, and results from the old test before 2010 still count too. Some companies and schools set their own time limit, so ask the one you're applying to.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- JLPT: introduction, objectives and organizers (largest-scale Japanese test, uses of results)
- JLPT: N1–N5, summary of linguistic competence required for each level
- JLPT: composition of test sections and items, and the 2026 test dates
- JLPT: scoring sections, pass marks and sectional pass marks
- JLPT: indication of the CEFR level for reference (from the December 2025 test)
- JLPT: list of overseas test site cities and local host institutions
- JLPT: how to apply outside Japan
- JLPT: July 2026 test, preliminary applicant figures (Japanese)
- JLPT: FAQ (why there are no official vocabulary or kanji lists)
- JLPT: sample questions for N1–N5
