JLPT N5

According to the official level summary, an N5 holder can read and understand typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and can listen to and comprehend short conversations about everyday topics and classroom situations, picking out necessary information when speech is slow.

In practice this means greetings, self-introduction, numbers, times and prices, daily routines, family, food and directions, expressed with -masu verbs, basic particles, i- and na-adjectives and the te-form.

The N5 test has three timed parts, but only two scoring sections. Language knowledge and reading are scored together out of 120, listening out of 60. A candidate must reach the overall pass mark and the minimum in each scoring section; a very weak listening score, for example, means failing regardless of the total.

Pass marks are on a scaled score of 0 to 180 at every level. The JLPT has published no official vocabulary or kanji lists since the test was revised in 2010; the figures below are commonly cited estimates based on the older lists and are given for orientation only.

Most learners reach N5 after completing the first volume of a standard beginners' textbook. Secure kana reading is essential, because the test uses almost no rōmaji. Official sample questions and the official practice workbooks published on jlpt.jp show the question types exactly.

Listening is where many candidates lose points: the recordings are slow, but they are played only once. Regular listening to textbook audio from the start is the best preparation.

In Japan the JLPT is held twice a year, in July and December. Abroad, test cities hold one or both sessions, and registration runs through a local host institution, often months in advance. Test fees and deadlines are set locally. The official site, jlpt.jp, lists every test city and its organiser.