JLPT N3 · Intermediate

JLPT N3 study guide: what the test covers and what to study

The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. That is how the JLPT itself describes N3. 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

140 minutes, 3 sections; pass with 95 of 180 and every scoring section above its minimum.
Reading: Everyday texts, newspaper headlines, and slightly difficult writing when it is rephrased. Listening: Coherent everyday conversations at near-natural speed, including who is talking to whom.
No official word, kanji or grammar lists exist; the lists here are the ones this site and its apps use (118 grammar patterns, 1,908 words).

What the JLPT N3 tests

N3 test sections and times (jlpt.jp; section times can change and listening varies with the recordings)
Section	Time
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)	30 min
Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading	70 min
Listening	40 min
Total	140 min

N3 scoring: 95 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 N3 your level? A 10-question check

Six N3 words and four N3 grammar patterns from the lists this site publishes, drawn at random. Eight or more right means N3 material is at your level; ten out of ten twice in a row means try N2. This is a reading check, not a listening one.

Press start to begin.

N3 grammar: 118 patterns

The JLPT N3 grammar list on this site has 118 patterns with examples, audio and quizzes. The first twelve, in the order the list teaches them:

~おかげで: thanks to... (positive reason)
~せいで: because of... (negative reason)
~からこそ: precisely because...
~によって① (Cause): due to... / because of...
~(んだ)もの/もん: because... (informal, often for excuses)
~わけだ: no wonder... / that's why... / it makes sense that...
つまり: in other words / that is to say
~ということだ① (Result): that means... / in other words...
~べきだ: should / ought to (strong sense of duty)
~ように: so that... / in such a way that... (used as a soft command)
~こと: you must... (used for rules or strong commands)
~ことだ: you should... (used for giving advice)

See all 118 N3 grammar points.

N3 vocabulary: 1,908 words

The N3 word list (1,908 words) is the one the Crossword app builds its N3 puzzles from; a web version with audio is planned. Twelve words from it:

Word	Reading	Meaning
履く	はく	to wear, to put on (lower body)
慣らす	ならす	to accustom
倒産	とうさん	(corporate) bankruptcy, insolvency
いらいら	いらいら	getting nervous, irritation
籠	かご	basket, cage
意志	いし	will, volition
徹底	てってい	thoroughness, completeness
祝い	いわい	celebration, festival
読み	よみ	reading
あいにく	あいにく	unfortunately, Sorry, but....
野党	やとう	opposition party
案内	あんない	information, guidance, leading

N3 kanji

About 650 kanji by N3 in most textbook lists; N3 was added in 2010, so older kanji tags (KANJIDIC) have no N3 set at all. 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.

N3 reading and listening

Start with the JLPT N3 reading practice: short passages, questions and a timer. 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 N3.

A N3 study plan you can tick off

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

Work through the N3 grammar list in order and make one sentence of your own per pattern.
Learn the N3 words in topic groups, 20 a day; the Crossword app drills the full N3 list.
Learn kanji inside words: write each new kanji once and read it in three words.
Do the N3 reading practice with a timer, then read one short text a day with furigana.
Shadow N3 sentences out loud daily; the listening section is scored separately and has its own minimum.
Four weeks out: sit a full mock under the 140-minute timing, score it with the 95-point pass mark and the sectional minimums.
Register early: the test is held twice a year in most countries and seats fill.

Practice N3 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 N3 word list: every clue is an English meaning, every answer a N3 word, typed in romaji.Play the N3 crossword
speakingFluencyToolN3 sentences in sub-levels 11 to 15: a sentence plays, you repeat it, speech-to-text checks the words you said.Shadow N3 sentences
readingYoMooJLPT-graded passages and real news with furigana, JLPT colours on every word and one-tap meanings.Read at N3 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 N3 test?

140 minutes of test time in 3 sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 minutes), Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (70 minutes), Listening (40 minutes). Section times are set by the JLPT and can change.

What score do you need to pass JLPT N3?

95 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 N3?

The JLPT publishes no official lists. This site's N3 grammar list has 118 patterns and the Crossword N3 word list has 1,908 words; other publishers' counts differ because they split patterns differently.

Is there an official JLPT N3 kanji list?

No. About 650 kanji by N3 in most textbook lists; N3 was added in 2010, so older kanji tags (KANJIDIC) have no N3 set at all. Learn kanji inside words and sentences rather than from a bare list.

Which app should I use to prepare for JLPT N3?

One per skill: My Senpai Crossword for N3 vocabulary recall, FluencyTool for speaking the N3 sentences and writing kanji, YoMoo for reading with furigana. All four are free with one optional purchase to remove ads.