The , or JLPT, is a standardized criterion-referenced test to evaluate and certify Japanese language proficiency for non-native speakers, covering language knowledge, reading ability, and listening ability. The test is held twice a year in Japan and selected countries (on the first Sunday of July and December), and once a year in other regions (either on the first Sunday of December or July depending on region). The JLPT is conducted by the Japan Foundation for tests overseas (with cooperation of local host institutions), and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services for tests in Japan.

The JLPT consists of five independent levels of certification, with 5 the lowest and 1 the highest. Until 2009, the test had four levels of certification. JLPT certificates do not expire or become invalid over time.

History The JLPT was first held in 1984 in response to the growing demand for standardized Japanese language certification. Initially, 7,000 people took the test. Until 2003, the JLPT was one of the requirements for foreigners entering Japanese universities. Since 2003, the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is used by most universities for this purpose; unlike the JLPT, which is solely a multiple-choice exam, the EJU contains sections which require the examinee to write in Japanese.

Uses and equivalencies + Correspondence of theJLPT Total Score to the CEFR LevelJLPTTotal ScoreCEFRno equivalentProficientC2N1142–180C1100–141IndependentB2N2112–18090–111B1N3104–18095–103BasicA2N490–180N580–180A1

JLPT certification can be used for many official purposes in Japan. For example, JLPT N1 or N2 certification can help foreign nationals receive preferential immigration treatment in some circumstances. Similarly, those who have passed either N1 or N2 (regardless of citizenship) are exempt from the Japanese language section of the middle school equivalency examination, which is required to enter a Japanese high school if the applicant did not graduate from a Japanese middle school, and N1 certification is sometimes accepted as an alternative to the Examination for Japanese University Admission for foreign students who wish to study at Japanese universities.

JLPT certification can also be required as a component of licensing in Japan. N1 certification is a prerequisite for foreign medical professionals who wish to take examinations to be licensed in Japan, and for certain foreign nationals who wish to attend nursing school in Japan. Further, under Japan's Economic partnership agreement with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, a JLPT certificate is required for Indonesian, Filipino, and Vietnamese nurse or caregiver candidates who visit Japan.

The Japan Foundation provides an official table of comparison between the JLPT and the "linguistic" and "reception" elements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale based on the total score required to pass the exam. Beginning in December 2025, JLPT score reports will include an official indication of corresponding CEFR levels.

Administration In Japan, the JLPT is administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology through the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES).Chen, Ping and Nanette Gottlieb. Language Planning and Language Policy: East Asian Perspectives, Routledge, 2001, page 43. Overseas, the Japan Foundation co-proctors test administration with local cultural exchange and/or educational institutions, or with committees specially established for this purpose.The 2005 Language Proficiency Test Level 1 and 2 Questions and Correct Answers, page 122.

Test format The revised test pattern was implemented in 2010. The test consists of five levels, with N1 the highest level and N5 the lowest. According to the exam, N1 represents "the ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances", N2 represents "the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances to a certain degree", N3 represents "the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree", N4 represents "the ability to understand basic Japanese", and N5 represents "the ability to understand some basic Japanese". No Test Content Specification is published as it is discouraged to study from kanji and vocabulary lists.

Scoring Passing is based on scaled scores calculated using item-response theory so that equivalent performance on tests from different years and different levels of difficulty yields the same scaled score. Raw scores are not directly used to determine conditions for passing, nor are they reported, except in rough form in the "Reference Information" of the score report, which tells test takers whether their raw scores were 67% or above, between 34% and 66%, or below 34%. This reference information is given for vocabulary, grammar, and reading on the N4 and N5, and for vocabulary and grammar (but not reading) on the N1, N2, and N3.

Since 2010, passing the test requires both achieving an overall pass mark for the total points, and passing each section individually. The overall pass mark depends on the level, and varies between 100/180 (55.55%) for the N1 and 80/180 (44.44%) for the N5. Meanwhile, scores of at least 31.67% are required for each section in order to ensure that test takers cannot pass by doing very well on one section and very poorly on another.

+ Pass marks for individual sections Level Overall pass mark Language Knowledge(Vocabulary/Grammar) Reading Listening N1 100 points 19 points 19 points 19 points N2 90 points 19 points 19 points 19 points N3 95 points 19 points 19 points 19 points Total possible 180 points 60 points 60 points 60 points N4 90 points 38 points 19 points N5 80 points 38 points 19 points Total possible 180 points 120 points 60 points

Test sections Level Test section(test time) Total duration N1 Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading(110 min) Listening(55 min) 165 min N2 Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading(105 min) Listening(50 min) 155 min N3 Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)(30 min) Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading(70 min) Listening(40 min) 140 min N4 Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)(25 min) Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading(55 min) Listening(35 min) 115 min N5 Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)(20 min) Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading(40 min) Listening(30 min) 90 min Note: "Vocabulary" includes kanji and vocabulary (previous 文字・語彙)

Estimated study time

Self-reported study hour comparison data for students residing in Japan, published by the Japanese Language Education Center:

+ JLPT Study Hour Comparison Data 2010-2015LevelStudents with kanji knowledge　 (e.g. speakers of Chinese)Other students (no prior kanji knowledge) N11700–2600 hours3000–4800 hours N21150–1800 hours1600–2800 hours N3700–1100 hours950–1700 hours N4400–700 hours575–1000 hours N5250–450 hours325–600 hours

Applications and results

The application period is usually around early March until late April for July's examination and around early August until late September for December's exam.

Results for the December test are announced the following February for examinees in Japan, and March for overseas candidates. Test results are sent to the examinees through the testing organization or center to which they applied. From 2012, with online registration, results are available online before they are mailed out (late August for the July test). All examinees receive a report indicating their scores by section. Those who pass also receive a Certificate of Proficiency.

As of 2004, when there were 302,198 total test takers, the JLPT was offered annually in 40 countries including Japan.The 2005 Language Proficiency Test Level 1 and 2 Questions and Correct Answers, JEES & The Japan Foundation, Japan, 2006, pages 88 and 99. Since 2009, two exams have been held each year in East Asia, and the yearly number of test takers had risen to 1,168,535 by 2019. As of 2021, the regions with the most test takers were Japan, Taiwan, China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.