The Japanese Language Proficiency Test is the benchmark for your knowledge of Japanese. In this post, we will show you some interesting comparisons to the number of JLPT study hours it will take you to pass each exam level.
Study Hours Needed for N5:
For students with kanji knowledge ( ex: Chinese students), it takes 350 hours. It’s close to the hours you would spend in preparing for a driver’s license in Japan.
For other students who don’t have prior kanji knowledge. It takes 462 hours. That is about the same as if you were to take a course to obtain a pastry diploma in Le Cordon Bleu – which is around 453 hours.
Study Hours Needed for N4:
For students with kanji knowledge, it takes 550 hours.
If you are a non-native English speaker, that is about the same as studying to improve your TOEIC score from 500 to 700.
For other students, it’s 787 hours. With this time, you can become a Train driver in Japan.
Study Hours Needed for N3:
For students with kanji knowledge, it takes 900 hours.
Almost the same as a Spanish Food Le Cordon Bleu diploma – which clocks in at 879 hours.
For other students, it’s 1325 hours. With this amount of time – you can become an architect – as that course takes 1500 hours.
Study Hours Needed for N2:
For students with kanji knowledge, 1475 hours of JLPT study is required.
A restricted privileges ATP certificate allows a pilot to serve as a co-pilot until he or she obtains 1,500 hours. – So you can become the co-pilot of an aircraft.
For other students, it’s 2200 hours. A USCPA ( Certified Public Accountant ) takes 2000 hours to obtain. Have fun crunching numbers!
Study Hours Needed for N1:
It takes 2150 hours of JLPT study for students with kanji knowledge to pass.
You can almost travel from the south of Yamaguchi in Honshu to the north of Aomori on foot.
For other students, it’s 3900 hours. Traveling around the world by cruise would take 3888 hours.
This will be a thorough guide on how to apply for the JLPT online. It’s almost that time of the year again when most of us are getting all ready to sign up for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, otherwise known as the JLPT. With varying difficulty levels from N5 to N1 (with N1 being the most difficult), it is relatively important to start deciding on which level to take on the test date before applying for the JLPT online. With that being said, let’s get on with some of the details related to the test!
Test Dates
First things first, let’s go through the dates on which the tests are being held so you can mark them down on the calendar. Throughout the span of one year, there are typically JLPT tests being held biannually. These tests are usually held once in July and once in December.
First JLPT Test in 2023: July 2, 2023
Second JLPT Test in 2023: December 3, 2023
Registration Dates for 2023 July JLPT
Registration through the MyJLPT page is not yet open for the July 2023 JLPT.
Registration Dates for 2023 December JLPT
Registration through the MyJLPT page is not yet open for the December 2023 JLPT.
Test Location
Moving on, let’s see the various locations in which you can take the JLPT. You have two option: take the test locally in Japan or in an educational institute overseas. For the full and comprehensive list of overseas institutes which conduct JLPT, head on down to the link over here to check if it is an approved institute.
As the location in which you take the JLPT varies, there may be different procedures, windows or deadlines of which you have to take note. However, the test date still remains to be the same. For more information on how you would go about applying for the JLPT online or otherwise, please click on any one of the links below:
Looking at the test components, JLPT Test Levels N1 to N3 is composed of 3 Components: Reading (60 marks), Vocabulary (60 marks) as well as Listening (60 marks). As for JLPT Test Levels N4 to N5, there are 2 Components: Japanese Language Knowledge (120 marks) and Listening (60 marks).
Step 5: Confirm your Personal Information and check your Email Inbox for a Confirmation Email
Part 2: Registering for a Test Online with your MyJLPT Account
Once you have obtained the myjlpt id you will be asked to complete the online application from your myjlpt page. The website itself is more friendly to certain web browsers – and the site recommends that you use Microsoft edge.
Step 1: Log in to your My JLPT account
Step 2: Click on “Examination application
Step 3: Choose your application type
Step 4: Sign the agreement to the privacy policy
Step 5: Choose your level and fill in other details required
Step 6: Choose Payment type
If you are in Japan, you can pay the test fee through several payment methods: credit card, bank transfer or payment via the convenience store. Please confirm the available payment method for countries outside Japan. Generally, credit card is acceptable.
Step 7: Confirm your information
Final step: The application will be completed after confirmation of your information
Application Window
For local students, the application window can start anywhere from Mid-March (July Test) to Mid-August (December Test). As for overseas students, the application window can be anywhere from March to April (July Test) or August to September (December Test). Check your MyJLPT Account for more details and stay up to date on when you can apply.
Payment of Fees & Window for Payment to be Made
After completing your application, you must complete payment before your registration will be confirmed. Test Fees are approximately 5,500 Yen but may vary based on the location in which you decide to take the test.
If you are in Japan – the payment options for the JLPT range from online with a credit card to cash at a convenience store or post office. If you are outside of Japan – the payment method will depend on the test location.
From January 17, 2022, a separate fee of 110 yen will be required for a cash payment from Japan Post Bank ATM. For group applications, a fee of 110 yen will be required for each “payment number”.
The test payment window for December is early to late September.
After making payment, you will be set to receive a Test Voucher which you would need to bring into your test venue to confirm and verify your status as a participant of the JLPT you have signed up for. Ensure that this slip of paper is well-kept and not lost as it is very important.
If you sign up for the JLPT 2022 in December, you will likely receive your test voucher sometime in November.
With these, remember to bring in some form of identification together with your Test Voucher. With that, take the test and you’re all good to go.
Release of Results
After all that hard work, just sit back, relax and give yourself a well-deserved break. Until the time comes, enjoy yourself! But until when? Well, the release of results can vary based on whether you’ve taken the test locally or from an overseas educational institute but here are some dates you can stay on the lookout for!
Local July Test: Early September
Local December Test: Early February
Overseas July Test: Early October
Overseas December Test: Early March
Note: For Overseas Students, collect your Score Reports, and hopefully a Certificate of Proficiency, at your Local Host Institute. As for Local Students, the Score Reports and Certificates will be mailed to you directly based on the address associated with your MyJLPT Account.
If you have questions about our school or taking JLPT Prep lessons with us, don’t worry. Here’s a link to the FAQ site where you can check to see if it answers any queries you have. With that, we would like to wish you all the best and happy studying! 😀
When is the next JLPT and when can I sign up?
The next JLPT Examination is in: December 4, 2022
Registration is from: August 25 to September 15
Where do I apply?
To apply, you will need a MyJLPT account, which you can sign up for here. Once you have an account, you can sign in with your account and start to register.
When do the JLPT results come out?
Depending on when you take the test, the release of the results can differ. In general, you will get your results 2-3 months after the test. Here is when you should look out for your results depending on when you take the test!
Local July Test: Early September
Local December Test: Early February
Overseas July Test: Early October
Overseas December Test: Early March
I have a question about the JLPT that isn't addressed here. What do I do?
If you have any JLPT related inquiries, you can visit the JLPT FAQ site. Your answer should be there.
Start taking Japanese lessons and pass the JLPT exam!
Do you want to know how to pass the JLPT N5? Are you starting Japanese from zero as a complete beginner?
This guide will give you information about:
What is the JLPT N5?
Scoring sections for the JLPT N5 – What Sections is it divided into?
Registering for the JLPT N5
How to study to for the N5 Kanji and Vocabulary Section
How to study to for the N5 Grammar and Reading Section
What is the JLPT N5
The JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test ( also known as the 日本語能力試験)
It is the standardized examination used by universities and employers inside and outside of Japan to test a persons Japanese language ability.
Recently – the JLPT N5 has become more necessary when applying for certain types of student visas to Japan – and in some cases it is actually required that you have a JLPT N5 passing certificate before you can apply.
As you can see from the graphic below (students who self reported their study hours) – it takes about 460 hours of study for a person to go from 0 – to passing the Jlpt N5 comfortably.
This should not scare you – that’s just around 2-3 hours a day of study for 6 months.
Important note: You should also keep in mind that studying for the N5 level includes learning the Japanese written alphabets of katakana and hiragana for the first time.
So it really depends whether or not you’re learning to actually write those characters by hand – or simply you just want to be able to read them for the purposes of passing the exam.
We definitely recommend that you learn to write them – as it also makes learning to read much easier – but if you have limited time before you need to pass the exam, you can consider that as a way to shorten the time it takes.
How is the JLPT N5 Scored? What sections appear on the JLPT N5
Scoring for JLPT is divided into 2 sections, vocabulary,grammar,reading and listening.
When you take the JLPT N5 – the test will be divided into two testing sections. This means that you will have a cumulative score for the Kanji, Vocabulary, Reading and Grammar. And you will be tested separately with a listening section.
During this listening section you will listen to audio segments that they play and have to answer questions given to you in those audio segments.
How to Register for the JLPT N5
Registering for the JLPT will depend on your country of residence – to find out where you can take the JLPT and where you can register for it – you can consult our registration guide.
Learning the JLPT N5 Kanji & Vocabulary
The N5 Contains roughly 100 or so Kanji that you need to memorize and around 800 vocabulary words.
(Of course you can pass without fully knowing all of these – but there are no guarantees which words will be appearing on your exam.)
We have created a handy JLPT Mega list that you can download and track your progress with – it has all of the Kanji and Vocabulary that you will need to pass the exam.
We would also recommend you check out our list of the top 100 japanese words.
We also have a JLPT N5 Kanji writing workbook that you can buy online and print at home.
This workbook contains stroke order diagrams that will teach you the strokes that you need in order to learn how to write the characters properly.
We have also provided several of the worksheets free of charge at the below links!
These are very useful as they cover many of the Kanji that you will be tested on during the N5 exam.
Although there is no separation between the points scoring for the vocabulary and the grammar section – we would recommend that you study for them differently.
A good way to get a head start on this grammar is to check out some of our handy basic grammar guides – as well as our te form conjugation guide.
We’ve already learned some kanji related to 乗り物 (norimono: vehicles) in N5 and N4 levels, such as: 車 (kuruma: car), 電車 (densha: train) and 駅 (eki: station.) In this Kanji worksheet, we will show you Japanese Kanji you will see on the train, on traffic signs, and on tickets.
If you are interested in studying Japanese, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.
When living in Japan, Kanji can be seen in many places. These various locations include traffic signs, shop signs, restaurant advertisements, etc. Let’s practice using this Kanji Worksheet.
In our N3 kanji Workbook unit one, we’ll be presenting to you common kanji you will see on the street.
After working through ‘Minna no Nihongo’, gloriously passing JLPT levels N5 or N4 and mastering the basic grammar needed to order your favourite sushi, your next step should be to level up to JLPT N3.
This level is described as ‘the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations. Looking to pass the easy way? Learn how to pass the JLPT N3 with our JLPT N3 Online Course!
Let’s take a look at what skills are needed to do well on each part, and get some useful tips on how to ace the test! Kanji Vocabulary Grammar Reading Listening
Note: Finding the right JLPT N3 textbook is just as important as studying the subject. That’s why we recommend you check our JLPT N3 textbook recommendations before you continue.
1. Kanji
Bad news: You must know approximately 650 kanji in order to pass. Good news: You should already know around 300 of them, from N5 and N4. You are already halfway there! The kanji is getting progressively more difficult. However, what works best is studying the most common radicals first, as it is easier to find meaning in each kanji. Most importantly, practice, practice practice! A website extremely useful is NHK’s New Web EASY. It is not always easy studying for N3, and I usually need a dictionary, but it is great reading practice. The thing that makes it easier, is that most topics will be familiar to you as they would be news articles. As texts on familiar topics are a lot easier to understand, I’m less likely to give up quickly. Another useful N3 Kanji resource is our JLPT N3 Kanji Writing Workbook! This do-it-yourself PDF workbook is downloadable and will help you master the 369 kanji gap between N4 and N3.
2. Vocabulary
For me, the most difficult part of studying Japanese is expanding my vocabulary. Especially at the beginning, all words sounded very similar to me. It’s getting better, but it is still hard. There was one website that greatly helped me expand my vocabulary, and that is renshuu.org. It is free, and one of the best resources for vocabulary cramming out there. I use it on the train, when waiting in line, and even before going to bed. The words are grouped by JLPT level, and I recommend studying N1 or N2, to be well prepared for N3.
3. Grammar
When it comes to grammar, I prefer books over websites. One book I particularly like is ‘An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese’. This book is not just dry grammar, as it contains interesting information about Japanese culture too. If you understand the grammar in the book, you should already be well prepared to take the JLPT N3 test. Another piece of advice I would like to give is to do mock tests online. Whatever you don’t understand you can look up and include in your studies. However, after studying the book mentioned above there shouldn’t be many unknown words or structures in the test anymore. For reference, the official website has a few practice questions.
4. Reading
For the reading portion of the JLPT test, it should not be too difficult after you followed the advice above. Texts in the tests follow a very similar format every time it is conducted, and the subjects of the texts are never too surprising. Even the kanji mostly have furigana to help you. Common themes are emails from a boss/co-worker, a trip (travel), someone talking about a memory they have, a bulletin with date/time information.
5. Listening
The JLPT N3 listening test is something you can’t learn from books only. The age-old adagio of conversation practice wherever you go comes into play here, and the TV can also be a useful study mate in this case. Listening to comedians making fun of each other can help you get used to the flow and sound of the language, but keep in mind that it will be very different from what you will actually hear during the test. What you will hear during the test is usually spoken quite slowly and clearly, so if you are used to people speaking at a natural speed you may be pleasantly surprised. One of the best ways to practice conversation and work on your specific language issues is to go to a language school. At Coto Japanese Academy, the small class size and professional teachers will help you reach your Japanese language goals, not only to pass the JLPT but also to use in your daily life and work! If being too busy is an excuse for you to skip out on your Japanese learning, then we have some advice for how you can learn Japanese on the go! Find out more here. If learning Japanese through the conventional textbook way is too boring, how about learning through some games instead? Find out more here! Click to tweet this Japanese tip to share it with more Japanese learners!
Coto Japanese Academy is a unique Japanese Language School in Iidabashi Tokyo, we offer relaxed and fun conversational lessons for all levels of Japanese learner. Coto Japanese Academy prides itself on its community atmosphere and fun lessons that focus on creation of opportunities to speak and learn Japanese. If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo – please visit our contact page here.
Start taking Japanese lessons and pass JPLT N3 exam!
Learning Japanese for beginner is a journey that appears to be terrifying. The process of understanding the grammar structure, building up a good vocabulary based, and strengthening communication skills may seem too much of a work to do.
Let’s be honest, learning a new language is not easy. But with endurance, a motivated attitude and with a determined goal, anything is possible.
How many times have you written “to learn a new language” or “to master the Japanese language” on your new year’s resolution? It is now almost halfway through the year, and how did that progress go?
If you have not even remotely gotten close to begin, don’t worry, many others are on the same boat as you.
In this article, we will introduce a number of ways to learn Japanese consistently, without getting side-tracked.
1.Study with mobile apps
If you have experience with studying with textbooks and this did not work out for you, why not try to study with Japanese language applications on your phone?
Just set a small starting goal of 5 minutes of studying on the Japanese language app, so that your goals are more achievable.
If you are struggling with memorizing kanji, we have compiled a few Kanji apps here in the blog post, recommending different type of learners.
The apps here help beginners to practice with remembering and understanding the Hiragana and Katakana writing system. The apps have a build-in tracing system, where you can practice writing Japanese letters.
Read more about kanji app and our review of the popular study app Duolingo here!
2. Study with social media,
If you have a habit of spending more than an hour on social media all together, why not use some of the time to allocate to your Japanese studies? Here we show you some ways to learn Japanese through social media.
Instagram
It is easy to get lost within the world of Instagram with so much content and inspiration out there. One way to get your Japanese study time while going on Instagram, is to follow some of the Japanese learning Instagram accounts.
We, Coto Academy, have our own Instagram account where we post every single day on Japanese vocabularies, phrases, and current events.
IG Stories of JLPT Kanji, Grammar, Vocabularies Quizzes
Themed Japanese Vocabulary
How to use onomatopoeia
Kanji Vocabulary
Japanese Phrases
Grammar videos on IGTV
By following us, you would not have to specifically find the time in your day to study Japanese, but we provide the information for you on Instagram, where you can engage with.
YouTube
To get more accustomed to the Japanese language and to get used to native Japanese speaking in Japanese, using YouTube to study is the best method.
With a visual aid, it is easier to understand Japanese grammar particles and structures. We post weekly JLPT grammar videos, introducing new concepts. If your main source of social media is YouTube, this is the perfect method for you to squeeze in bits of studying time.
Additionally, listening to our Native teachers speak Japanese may help you to get used to the pronounciation of Japanese words.
Coto provides short educational videos, but if you would like to delve into longer videos, that thoroughly explains grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, check out our list of 50 Youtube channels here.
The YouTube channels we have compiled here varries in learning formats. Ranging from traditional formats of explaining each grammar concept to you to channels that explains through a song so that the concepts are easier to remember to many vlog channels going through their daily life in Japan.
For Japanese learners that want to learn Japanese, learning videos is one of the best methods to do so, because the educational videos are delivered as if it is a personal lesson between the teacher and the student. Learning through Japanese vlogs
Following our blog
Our blog includes a variety of content you can highly benefit from, which contributes to learning Japanese!
We write blogs on topics such as grammar blog posts, tips on how to study Japanese, and how to pass each JLPT level. We also combine Japanese culture with Japanese learning, such as our blog post on teaching Japanese learners how to maximize their learning with using phrases from Japanese anime.
We also create our own Coto Kanji practice worksheets and provide them on our blog. Our Coto blog provides a wide array of Free Kanji practice worksheets ranging from JLPT N5~N2 Kanjis. This way, learners that are starting out can have easy access to resources to study Japanese straightaway.
3. Listen to podcasts and join clubhouse
Traditional methods of studying Japanese is great, but if you want to progress to another level, listening to Japanese podcasts and joining a clubhouse group is one way to do so.
Joining clubhouse Japanese language groups encourages Japanese learners to strengthen communication skills. The groups we have compiled allows members to practice the language together.
Why you should learn by listening to podcasts or Clubhouse:
Easy to slot in time for it –
For when you often communte to work or school,
Exercise throughout the day
Strengthen listening skills
Gain communications skills for casual conversations
Become friends with like minded people to encourage each other to study
If you like to watch Japanese tv shows or anime, what better way to learn Japanese than to learn by continuously watching the shows? This way, you can learn natural phrases used for daily life, during your leisure time.
Did you also know that by adding this extention on your google chrome, you can learn Japanese on Netflix? By installing this extention, you can hover words you are unfamiliar with in the subtitles, and save the words to review for later. This extention translates the words for you, and provides romaji on top of kanji so you can practice reading the Japanese subtitiles.
5. Learn through songs
Do you like listening to J-pop? Want to learn how to sing them, or understand what the song lyrics mean without having to search it up everytime? In our previous post, we have compiled Japanese songs and artists we recommend learning Japanese from!
By practicing sing the Japanese songs, this can improve your Japanese pronounciation, which can aid you in the future when you want to improve communication skills. Trying to understand the story behind the lyrics include understand vocabulary and grammar structure.
By accomplishing this, learning throught the lyrics also can link to strengthening reading comprehension skills.
6. Sign up to Coto Academy!
There are many free and affordable resources out there on the internet. Coto Academy provides many ways for people that are interested in learning Japnese.
Sign up to Coto online classes, affordable and consistent
Coto Academy provides Japanese lessons for anyone in the world. We have online group lessons, as well in-person group lessons. The classes we have arranged are very affordable, which makes students easier for them to continue the classes.
Consistency is a very key aspect in studying languages, so that your muscle memory does not forget what you have learnt.
Among the variety of classes we offer, we highly recommed the Japanese Crash Course for beginners with zero experience with Japanese.
Do you want to learn to type written Japanese? Are you looking for apps – websites and other tools that will improve your Japanese writing composition skill?
You may never have the time to master the handwriting of each individual kanji – but thanks to computer input methods – you are now able to compose writing in Japanese without the need of a calligraphy brush.
This week we will share a list of tools that we recommend to our students studying with us at our Japanese language school in Tokyo.
Question and Answer Sites (HiNative, Quora)
Community Correction / Notebook Services
Kanji Writing Apps and PDF Worksheet Workbooks
With computers – it has never been easier to be able to compose writing in Japanese. In the old days – you would need to learn each individual kanji and write it by hand.
But no longer! This has lead to many people being able to learn how to write articles and publish blogs in Japanese without having to have thousands of hours of classroom instruction in writing.
This article is all about how you can type written Japanese – and the tools that we recommend to get feedback on your writing and correction.
Japanese Question and Answer Websites
The first tool that we recommend is Question and Answer sites:
If you have been on the internet recently – you may have heard of the website called Quora or Yahoo answers. These websites specialize in crowdsourcing answers for general questions.
But did you know that Quora has a Japanese language specific section?
Below is a list of Q and A sites with where you can get answers about specific usage of Japanese. And at some of these site syou can even have your Japanese proofed by native speakers.
For example – I could type something in Japanese and on Hi Native – A native Japanese speaker can explain to me the correct usage or nuance of the statement that I am trying to make.
Quora is the largest question and answer site on the internet and their Japanese language section has around 250,000 followers on it. You can ask questions here and also search for questions similar to yours.
A big warning here is that the people answering the question can often be anonymous and might not be a native speaker. So be careful to check the responses that you get with a native speaker.
italki.com has a question and answer section that is typically staffed by Japanese teachers that are willing to answer your questions for free! This is a nice tool that you can use.
Community Notebook Tools
There are several websites online that offer a community sourced proofreading solution.
Hinative
Italki
On these websites – you have the ability to write something in Japanese and then have it proofread by native speakers where they will offer you the corrections.
This is different from a question and answer tool in the sense that it allows you to have free correction of your writing. This is a powerful and free way to improve your Japanese writing ability.
Kanji Writing Applications / Workbooks
Many people can obtain a very high level of comprehension in Japanese listening, speaking, reading, and typing – without ever actually learning how to write Kanji characters for themselves.
There are several applications that will help you to write in Japanese by learning the stroke order from scratch.
At Coto – we have also begun producing a series of Japanese Kanji writing workbooks that you can download and print for very low cost!
