JLPT N2 · Upper intermediate

JLPT N2 study guide: what the test covers and what to study

The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations, and in a variety of circumstances to a certain degree. That is how the JLPT itself describes N2. 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

155 minutes, 2 sections; pass with 90 of 180 and every scoring section above its minimum.
Reading: Articles, commentaries and simple critiques on a variety of topics. Listening: Conversations and news reports at nearly natural speed, following the key points and who is involved.
No official word, kanji or grammar lists exist; the lists here are the ones this site and its apps use (131 grammar patterns, 1,540 words).

What the JLPT N2 tests

N2 test sections and times (jlpt.jp; section times can change and listening varies with the recordings)
Section	Time
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading	105 min
Listening	50 min
Total	155 min

N2 scoring: 90 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 N2 your level? A 10-question check

Six N2 words and four N2 grammar patterns from the lists this site publishes, drawn at random. Eight or more right means N2 material is at your level; ten out of ten twice in a row means try N1. This is a reading check, not a listening one.

Press start to begin.

N2 grammar: 131 patterns

The JLPT N2 grammar list on this site has 131 patterns with examples, audio and quizzes. The first twelve, in the order the list teaches them:

~ものの/とはいうものの: although... / even though...
~にもかかわらず: despite... / in spite of...
~ながら(も): while... / although... (contradictory)
~つつ(も): while... / although... (formal, contradictory)
~にかかわらず/にかかわりなく: regardless of... / irrespective of...
~からといって/からって: just because... doesn't mean...
~にしても/にしろ/にせよ: even if... / whether... or...
~かのようだ/かのように: as if... / as though...
~げ: -looking / seeming... (appearance)
~ばかりに: just because... / only because...
~につき: due to... / because of... (formal)
~あまり: so much... that / to the extent that...

See all 131 N2 grammar points.

N2 vocabulary: 1,540 words

The N2 word list (1,540 words) is the one the Crossword app builds its N2 puzzles from; a web version with audio is planned. Twelve words from it:

Word	Reading	Meaning
汁	しる	juice, sap, soup, broth
食器	しょっき	tableware
大小	だいしょう	size
大層	たいそう	very much, exaggerated, very fine
文献	ぶんけん	literature, books (reference)
消化	しょうか	digestion
冷ます	さます	to cool, to dampen, to let cool
回答	かいとう	reply, answer
基盤	きばん	foundation, basis
自衛	じえい	self-defense
製作	せいさく	manufacture, production
姪	めい	niece

N2 kanji

About 1,000 kanji by N2 in most textbook lists (KANJIDIC tags 739 at its second 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.

N2 reading and listening

No N2 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 N2.

A N2 study plan you can tick off

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

Work through the N2 grammar list in order and make one sentence of your own per pattern.
Learn the N2 words in topic groups, 20 a day; the Crossword app drills the full N2 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 N2 level and note the words you looked up.
Shadow N2 sentences out loud daily; the listening section is scored separately and has its own minimum.
Four weeks out: sit a full mock under the 155-minute timing, score it with the 90-point pass mark and the sectional minimums.
Register early: the test is held twice a year in most countries and seats fill.

Practice N2 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 N2 word list: every clue is an English meaning, every answer a N2 word, typed in romaji.Play the N2 crossword
speakingFluencyToolN2 sentences in sub-levels 16 to 20: a sentence plays, you repeat it, speech-to-text checks the words you said.Shadow N2 sentences
readingYoMooJLPT-graded passages and real news with furigana, JLPT colours on every word and one-tap meanings.Read at N2 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 N2 test?

155 minutes of test time in 2 sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading (105 minutes), Listening (50 minutes). Section times are set by the JLPT and can change.

What score do you need to pass JLPT N2?

90 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 N2?

The JLPT publishes no official lists. This site's N2 grammar list has 131 patterns and the Crossword N2 word list has 1,540 words; other publishers' counts differ because they split patterns differently.

Is there an official JLPT N2 kanji list?

No. About 1,000 kanji by N2 in most textbook lists (KANJIDIC tags 739 at its second 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 N2?

One per skill: My Senpai Crossword for N2 vocabulary recall, FluencyTool for speaking the N2 sentences and writing kanji, YoMoo for reading with furigana. All four are free with one optional purchase to remove ads.