JLPT N5: the complete guide to what you need to know and how to pass

The JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and, for most learners, the first big goal. It shows that you understand the basics of Japanese: hiragana, katakana, around one hundred kanji, a core vocabulary and simple sentences. In this guide you will find the exact structure of the exam, the passing score, the 2026 dates, what you really need to know and a realistic study plan.

What is the JLPT N5?

The JLPT measures your Japanese across five levels, from N5 as the easiest to N1 as the hardest. The N5 checks whether you understand basic Japanese that appears in typical everyday situations and in simple texts. It is not a speaking test: it covers vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening. There is no speaking and no writing section.

2026 exam dates

The JLPT is held twice a year, always on the first Sunday of July and of December. In 2026 those are 5 July and 6 December. Not every test site offers both sittings, and outside Japan many places only run the December one. So check your local organiser site early to see which date is available where you live.

Structure of the exam

The N5 has three test sections written one after another. Every question is multiple choice. You mark your answers on an answer sheet.

Passing score and points

For scoring, the sections are grouped. Vocabulary, grammar and reading together form one band, and listening forms the second. You need both enough total points and a minimum in each band.

What you need to know

• 🌸Read both syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, confidently and without a chart.
• 🌸Around 100 basic kanji, for example numbers, days of the week and simple verbs.
• 🌸Around 800 words of everyday core vocabulary.
• 🌸Basic grammar such as the polite forms です and ます and the most important particles.
• 🌸Understand short, slowly spoken conversations and announcements.

What an N5 sentence looks like

At N5 level, sentences use all three scripts at once. Here is a typical example, broken down character by character.

Study plan for about three months

Most people reach N5 with around 350 to 460 hours, often in three to four months at 30 to 60 minutes a day. A simple structure looks like this.

1. 1Weeks 1 and 2: learn hiragana and katakana until you read both without a chart.
2. 2Weeks 3 to 6: basic grammar and your first 300 words, plus short listening practice every day.
3. 3Weeks 7 to 10: grow vocabulary to around 800 words and learn the roughly 100 N5 kanji in context.
4. 4Weeks 11 and 12: past papers and practice tests under time, to train your speed and the format.

Tips to pass

• 🌸Study a small amount every day with spaced repetition rather than a lot rarely.
• 🌸Practise listening from the start, because it has its own minimum score.
• 🌸Learn kanji in real words rather than as isolated characters, so they stick better.
• 🌸Do at least two full practice tests under time so you know the pace.
• 🌸If you do not know a question, guess and move on, because wrong answers carry no penalty.

Frequently asked questions

The N5 is very doable if you learn the basics cleanly and start listening and reading early. Set a test date as your goal, study a small piece every day, and you will walk into the exam more confident than you think right now.