How to pass JLPT N5 and N4: what's tested, kanji, grammar, listening and a study plan

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N5 and N4 are the two beginner levels of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. N5 shows that you understand basic Japanese; N4 that you understand basic Japanese used in daily life. They are a good first goal: concrete, achievable within months of steady study, and a useful check on whether your learning is balanced.

What each level tests

Both levels test reading and listening only. There is no speaking or writing section, and the test is multiple choice. The test is made up of three parts on the day: vocabulary, grammar and reading, and listening. For scoring, N4 and N5 combine the first two into one section:

Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading: scored 0 to 120
Listening: scored 0 to 60
Total: 0 to 180

To pass you need both an overall pass mark and a minimum in each scoring section. The official results guidelines give the overall pass mark as 90 for N4 and 80 for N5, with sectional minimums of 38 for Language Knowledge and Reading and 19 for Listening at both levels. This is why you cannot skip listening and make up for it elsewhere. Confirm the current figures on the official site, jlpt.jp.

Kana first

Learn hiragana and katakana completely before anything else. Test questions are written in Japanese, with kanji at N5 and N4 levels and the rest in kana, so slow kana reading costs you time on every question. Aim to read both without hesitating.

Kanji and vocabulary

The JLPT no longer publishes official kanji or vocabulary lists, so the numbers quoted in textbooks and apps are estimates. As a general guide:

N5 expects the most basic kanji: numbers, days, time, people, simple verbs and directions.
N4 roughly adds a few hundred more, covering everyday words like those for food, travel, family and work.

Learn kanji through words, not as isolated characters with every reading. Knowing how 学 is read in 学生 and 学校 is more useful than a list of its readings. Spaced-repetition flashcards suit this well.

Grammar

N5: basic particles (は, が, を, に, で, へ, と, も), です/ます forms, past and negative, て-form requests, existence (あります/います), comparisons and simple conjunctions.
N4: potential, volitional and passive forms, conditionals (たら, ば, と), giving and receiving verbs, plain form patterns, and expressions of intention and obligation.

Use a textbook or a structured grammar resource and learn each point with example sentences, not just the rule. Many N4 grammar questions test which form fits a sentence, so reading lots of examples helps more than memorising tables.

Listening

Listening is where many beginners lose points, because the audio plays once.

Listen to slow, clear beginner material daily: textbook audio, graded listening and beginner podcasts.
Practise with official sample questions and practice workbooks, so the question formats are familiar.
In the test, read the answer options before the audio, and move on if you miss one.

A study plan

Weeks 1 to 2: hiragana and katakana until fluent.
Next few months: a beginner textbook, one lesson at a time, with daily vocabulary and kanji reviews, about an hour a day where you can.
Alongside: 15 to 20 minutes of listening every day.
Last six to eight weeks: practice tests under timed conditions, and review every wrong answer.
Last week: light review, sleep, check your test venue and what to bring.

N4 builds directly on N5, so many people take N5 first for the experience, while others study through both and sit N4 directly.

Registration and test dates

The JLPT is held in July and December in Japan and many other places, though some countries and cities hold it only once a year. Registration is handled by local host institutions outside Japan and opens months before the test, with fixed deadlines. Check jlpt.jp for your country's host institution, dates and fees well in advance. Taking N5 or N4 soon? Share your study plan, resources or questions in the comments.