JLPT N1 · Advanced

JLPT N1 study guide: what the test covers and what to study

The ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances. That is how the JLPT itself describes N1. Below: the official format and pass marks, a ten-question check, what to study for each section, and where to practise it.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Test facts from jlpt.jp

In short

165 minutes, 2 sections; pass with 100 of 180 and every scoring section above its minimum.
Reading: Logically complex or abstract writing such as editorials and critiques, including the writer’s intent. Listening: Material spoken at natural speed in a broad variety of settings, such as lectures, following details and structure.
No official word, kanji or grammar lists exist; the lists here are the ones this site and its apps use (188 grammar patterns, 3,062 words).

What the JLPT N1 tests

N1 test sections and times (jlpt.jp; section times can change and listening varies with the recordings)
Section	Time
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading	110 min
Listening	55 min
Total	165 min

N1 scoring: 100 of 180 to pass, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (jlpt.jp)
Scoring section	Score range	Minimum
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)	0 to 60	19
Reading	0 to 60	19
Listening	0 to 60	19

Source: jlpt.jp level summary, test sections and scoring pages, read 6 November 2026. Pass standards have applied since the 2010 test revision.

Is N1 your level? A 10-question check

Six N1 words and four N1 grammar patterns from the lists this site publishes, drawn at random. Eight or more right means N1 material is at your level. This is a reading check, not a listening one.

Press start to begin.

N1 grammar: 188 patterns

The JLPT N1 grammar list on this site has 188 patterns with examples, audio and quizzes. The first twelve, in the order the list teaches them:

~が早いか: as soon as... / no sooner... than...
~や否や: as soon as... / the moment...
~なり: as soon as... (unexpected/immediate next action)
~そばから: as soon as... (but...) / despite...
~てからというもの: ever since... (a significant change occurred)
~にあって: in... / at... / in a situation of...
~た弾みに / ~た拍子に: in the moment that... / just as...
~かと思いきや: just when I thought... (it turned out differently)
~を皮切りに: starting with... (and continuing)
~を機に: as an opportunity... / taking the chance...
~を境に: ever since... / from... onward (a clear turning point)
~に先駆けて: in advance of... / before...

See all 188 N1 grammar points.

N1 vocabulary: 3,062 words

The N1 word list (3,062 words) is the one the Crossword app builds its N1 puzzles from; a web version with audio is planned. Twelve words from it:

Word	Reading	Meaning
持ち切り	もちきり	hot topic, talk of the town
成果	せいか	results, fruits
同居	どうきょ	living together
割	かつ	divide, cut, halve, separate
無言	むごん	silence
中継	ちゅうけい	relay, hook-up
檻	おり	cage, pen, jail cell
庁	ちょう	government office
一人	いちにん	one person
欠乏	けつぼう	want, shortage, famine
武装	ぶそう	arms, armament, armed
きっぱり	きっぱり	clearly, plainly, distinctly

N1 kanji

About 2,000 kanji by N1 (roughly the 2,136 joyo kanji) in most textbook lists; KANJIDIC tags 1,207 at its top level; the JLPT publishes no list. The Kanji Tower teaches the 1,026 school kanji in real sentences, and FluencyTool's dictionary shows each kanji's JLPT level and school grade so you can check any kanji you meet.

N1 reading and listening

No N1 reading practice page exists on this site yet; YoMoo's JLPT passages and furigana reader cover it in the app. For listening, the test is scored separately with its own minimum, so practise with audio every day: the shadowing materials by level page says what to shadow at N1.

A N1 study plan you can tick off

In the order most learners need it. Your ticks stay in this browser.

Work through the N1 grammar list in order and make one sentence of your own per pattern.
Learn the N1 words in topic groups, 20 a day; the Crossword app drills the full N1 list.
Learn kanji inside words: write each new kanji once and read it in three words.
Read one short text a day with furigana at N1 level and note the words you looked up.
Shadow N1 sentences out loud daily; the listening section is scored separately and has its own minimum.
Four weeks out: sit a full mock under the 165-minute timing, score it with the 100-point pass mark and the sectional minimums.
Register early: the test is held twice a year in most countries and seats fill.

Practice N1 in the apps

All four apps are free, with one optional purchase to remove ads. Each link opens the app's page, where you can try it in the browser before installing.

vocabularyMy Senpai CrosswordA daily crossword built from the N1 word list: every clue is an English meaning, every answer a N1 word, typed in romaji.Play the N1 crossword
speakingFluencyToolN1 sentences in sub-levels 21 to 25: a sentence plays, you repeat it, speech-to-text checks the words you said.Shadow N1 sentences
readingYoMooJLPT-graded passages and real news with furigana, JLPT colours on every word and one-tap meanings.Read at N1 level
kanjiFluencyToolWrite kanji stroke by stroke in real sentences; the dictionary shows each kanji's JLPT level and school grade.Write kanji in the Kanji Tower

Frequently asked questions

How long is the JLPT N1 test?

165 minutes of test time in 2 sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading (110 minutes), Listening (55 minutes). Section times are set by the JLPT and can change.

What score do you need to pass JLPT N1?

100 out of 180 overall, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (19 for Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar), 19 for Reading, 19 for Listening). Missing one sectional minimum fails the level even with a high total.

How many grammar points and words are on JLPT N1?

The JLPT publishes no official lists. This site's N1 grammar list has 188 patterns and the Crossword N1 word list has 3,062 words; other publishers' counts differ because they split patterns differently.

Is there an official JLPT N1 kanji list?

No. About 2,000 kanji by N1 (roughly the 2,136 joyo kanji) in most textbook lists; KANJIDIC tags 1,207 at its top level; the JLPT publishes no list. Learn kanji inside words and sentences rather than from a bare list.

Which app should I use to prepare for JLPT N1?

One per skill: My Senpai Crossword for N1 vocabulary recall, FluencyTool for speaking the N1 sentences and writing kanji, YoMoo for reading with furigana. All four are free with one optional purchase to remove ads.