How to Pass the JLPT N5

What the N5 test covers

N5 is the first of the five levels of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), and the easiest. The official level summary says an N5 test taker can read typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji, and can pick up necessary information from short, slowly spoken conversations about everyday and classroom topics.

The test is held twice a year, in July and December, though some cities outside Japan offer only one of the two dates. All answers go on a multiple-choice answer sheet. Most questions have four choices, and some listening questions have three.

One thing the organizers do not publish is a list of the kanji, vocabulary or grammar you need. The JLPT stopped publishing those lists when the test was revised in 2010. Lists you find online are study guides made by teachers and publishers, which is useful, but they are not the syllabus.

Test sections, times and pass marks

N5 has three timed sections: Vocabulary (20 minutes), Grammar and Reading (40 minutes) and Listening (30 minutes). The first two are scored together, so there are only two scoring sections. Here is the format from jlpt.jp:

To pass you need both: a total of at least 80, and at least the minimum in each scoring section. A learner who scores 100 overall but only 15 in Listening fails. Listening is a third of the total score, so it deserves a third of your practice, not the last week before the test.

Scores are also scaled, not a simple count of correct answers. The JLPT uses a statistical method so that results are comparable between test dates, which means there is no fixed number of questions you can miss. Aim to be comfortable with every question type rather than to hit a raw percentage.

Every N5 question type

The official N5 test item list breaks each section into specific question types. Knowing them in advance removes surprises on the day:

• Vocabulary: kanji reading (give the reading of a word in kanji), orthography (pick the kanji or katakana for a word written in hiragana), contextually-defined expressions (choose the word that fits a sentence) and paraphrases (find a sentence with the same meaning).
• Grammar: sentential grammar 1 (pick the right grammar form), sentential grammar 2 (put words in order to build a correct sentence) and text grammar (choose what fits the flow of a short text).
• Reading: short passages of about 80 characters, mid-size passages of about 250 characters, and information retrieval from a notice or similar material of about 250 characters.
• Listening: task-based comprehension (what should the speaker do next), comprehension of key points, verbal expressions (choose what to say in a situation shown in an illustration) and quick response (choose the best reply to a short line).

Two question types reward kanji study directly: kanji reading and orthography. For example, you may need to recognize that 何時 is なんじ (what time), or choose 先生 for せんせい (teacher).

A study order that works

1. Kana first. Everything on the test, including kanji readings and furigana, is in hiragana and katakana. Our guide on how to learn hiragana has a short plan, and the kana quiz checks your speed.
2. Vocabulary and kanji together. Learn each kanji through a common word, such as 読 in 読む (よむ, to read) or 休 in 休み (やすみ, holiday). The JLPT N5 kanji study plan splits about 100 commonly listed kanji into weekly themed groups.
3. Grammar after the first few hundred words. Particles such as は, が, を, に and で, verb forms like ます and て, and basic patterns like 〜たい (want to) make much more sense once you know enough words to build sentences.
4. Listening from week one. Play slow, beginner-level audio daily, even if you understand little at first. Numbers, times and prices come up constantly, so practice hearing Japanese numbers and times like 三時 (さんじ, three o'clock).
5. Reading and sample questions last. In the final weeks, read short texts and work through the official sample questions on jlpt.jp to get used to each question type.

Keep everything you learn in a daily review routine. Spaced repetition is the most efficient way to hold hundreds of words and kanji at once, and it keeps early material from fading while you add grammar.

Balancing kanji, vocabulary and grammar

Because vocabulary, grammar and reading share one score of 120 points, a gap in any of them pulls the whole section down. A practical balance for most learners:

• Vocabulary and kanji: the largest share of study time early on, since every other question type depends on words you know.
• Grammar: a steady part of each week once you have a base vocabulary, with example sentences rather than rules alone.
• Listening: a short daily habit throughout, then a larger share in the final month.
• Reading: a few short passages a week, timed in the last month so 40 minutes for grammar and reading does not feel rushed.

For the kanji part, the N5 kanji list has a page for each character with readings, example words and stroke order. Moji covers the same N5 kanji with Lock Screen widgets and spaced repetition reviews, which suits short daily sessions.

On test day

• Do not leave blanks. Answers are multiple choice, so guess on anything you cannot solve.
• Watch the clock in Grammar and Reading. It is the longest section, and reading questions come last, so do not spend too long on one grammar item.
• Read the listening questions while you can. For key-point questions, the information to listen for is given before the audio, so use that moment.
• Stay with the audio. If you miss a listening question, let it go and focus on the next one.

Take one full timed practice run a few weeks before the test. Doing all 90 minutes in one sitting shows you which section needs the most work while there is still time to fix it.