# JLPT levels explained

> Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, maintained by Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES).

The JLPT is the standard qualification for non-native speakers of Japanese, held twice a year in Japan and around the world, and recognised for university admission, employment and immigration points. It has five levels, from N5 for beginners to N1 for advanced learners, and tests reading and listening only, with no speaking or writing section. Since the 2010 revision the organisers no longer publish official kanji and vocabulary lists, so the counts below carry forward the bands from the pre-2010 specifications and should be read as guidance. The study hours come from the Japanese Language Education Center's 2010-2015 learner survey, which splits results by whether learners already read a kanji-using language, rather than from any official recommendation.

## The 5 JLPT levels

| Level | Name | Typical vocabulary | Study to reach it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [N5](https://nativepal.app/levels/jlpt/n5/) | Beginner | About 800 words and 100 kanji (pre-2010 bands; no official list is published today) | 325-600 hours, or 250-450 with a kanji-using background |
| [N4](https://nativepal.app/levels/jlpt/n4/) | Elementary | About 1,500 words and 300 kanji (pre-2010 bands; no official list is published today) | 575-1,000 hours, or 400-700 with a kanji-using background |
| [N3](https://nativepal.app/levels/jlpt/n3/) | Intermediate | About 3,000-3,750 words and 600-650 kanji (widely cited estimate; N3 has no pre-2010 predecessor) | 950-1,700 hours, or 700-1,100 with a kanji-using background |
| [N2](https://nativepal.app/levels/jlpt/n2/) | Upper Intermediate | About 6,000 words and 1,000 kanji (pre-2010 bands; no official list is published today) | 1,600-2,800 hours, or 1,150-1,800 with a kanji-using background |
| [N1](https://nativepal.app/levels/jlpt/n1/) | Advanced | About 10,000 words and 2,000 kanji (pre-2010 bands; no official list is published today) | 3,000-4,800 hours, or 1,700-2,600 with a kanji-using background |

## FAQ

### What is JLPT?

The JLPT is the standard qualification for non-native speakers of Japanese, held twice a year in Japan and around the world, and recognised for university admission, employment and immigration points. It has five levels, from N5 for beginners to N1 for advanced learners, and tests reading and listening only, with no speaking or writing section. Since the 2010 revision the organisers no longer publish official kanji and vocabulary lists, so the counts below carry forward the bands from the pre-2010 specifications and should be read as guidance. The study hours come from the Japanese Language Education Center's 2010-2015 learner survey, which splits results by whether learners already read a kanji-using language, rather than from any official recommendation.

### How many JLPT levels are there?

JLPT has 5 levels, from N5 to N1, maintained by Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES).

### Which languages use JLPT?

Japanese only.

### Which JLPT level should I start at?

If you have never studied the language, start at N5. Otherwise pick the highest level whose can-do statements you can already manage comfortably. NativePal lets you set and change your level at any time.

## More

- [All proficiency frameworks](https://nativepal.app/levels/)
- [All supported languages](https://nativepal.app/languages.html)