JLPT N5 · Beginner

JLPT N5 study guide: what the test covers and what to study

The ability to understand some basic Japanese. That is how the JLPT itself describes N5. 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

90 minutes, 3 sections; pass with 80 of 180 and every scoring section above its minimum.
Reading: Typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana and basic kanji. Listening: Short conversations about daily life and classroom situations, spoken slowly, picking out the information you need.
No official word, kanji or grammar lists exist; the lists here are the ones this site and its apps use (56 grammar patterns, 614 words).

What the JLPT N5 tests

N5 test sections and times (jlpt.jp; section times can change and listening varies with the recordings)
Section	Time
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary)	20 min
Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading	40 min
Listening	30 min
Total	90 min

N5 scoring: 80 of 180 to pass, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (jlpt.jp)
Scoring section	Score range	Minimum
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading	0 to 120	38
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 N5 your level? A 10-question check

Six N5 words and four N5 grammar patterns from the lists this site publishes, drawn at random. Eight or more right means N5 material is at your level; ten out of ten twice in a row means try N4. This is a reading check, not a listening one.

Press start to begin.

N5 grammar: 56 patterns

The JLPT N5 grammar list on this site has 56 patterns with examples, audio and quizzes. The first twelve, in the order the list teaches them:

~です: to be/ it is (polite)
~じゃありません: to not be / it is not (polite)
~ですか: (indicates question: sentence end)
はい/いいえ: yes/no
そうです: (answer) it is/that's right
こ/そ/あ/ど (demonstrative prefixes): こ: Something near to the speaker; そ: Something near to the listener; あ: Something far away from both speaker and listener; ど: Something the speaker doesn't see or know about.
これ/それ/あれ/どれ: This, that, that one over there, which
この/その/あの/どの [Noun]: this/that/that (over there)/which [Noun]
ここ/そこ/あそこ/どこ: Here, there, over there, where
あります/います: there is..., have... (あります for inanimate objects, います for animate objects)
[Place] に/で: (location particles) に (marks existence), で (marks action)
よく/だいたい/たくさん/少し/あまり/ぜんぜん: Adverbs of degree/quantity (often/mostly/a lot/a little/not much/not at all)

See all 56 N5 grammar points.

N5 vocabulary: 614 words

The JLPT N5 vocabulary list has every word with audio, grouped by topic. Twelve words from it:

Word	Reading	Meaning
お金	おかね	money
北	きた	North
出す	だす	to put out
夕方	ゆうがた	evening
いす	いす	chair
角	かど	a corner
出かける	でかける	to go out
温い	ぬるい	luke warm
どうぞ	どうぞ	please
映画館	えいがかん	cinema
おもしろい	おもしろい	Interesting
頼む	たのむ	to ask

N5 kanji

KANJIDIC tags about 100 kanji at its lowest level, which textbooks treat as the N5 set; 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.

N5 reading and listening

Start with the JLPT N5 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 N5.

A N5 study plan you can tick off

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

Read hiragana and katakana without hesitating (take the kana quiz; under 3 seconds a character).
Work through the N5 grammar list in order and make one sentence of your own per pattern.
Learn the N5 word list in topic groups, with the audio, 20 words a day.
Learn kanji inside words: write each new kanji once and read it in three words.
Do the N5 reading practice with a timer, then read one short text a day with furigana.
Shadow N5 sentences out loud daily; the listening section is scored separately and has its own minimum.
Four weeks out: sit a full mock under the 90-minute timing, score it with the 80-point pass mark and the sectional minimums.
Register early: the test is held twice a year in most countries and seats fill.

Practice N5 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 N5 word list: every clue is an English meaning, every answer a N5 word, typed in romaji.Play the N5 crossword
speakingFluencyToolN5 sentences in sub-levels 1 to 5: a sentence plays, you repeat it, speech-to-text checks the words you said.Shadow N5 sentences
readingYoMooJLPT-graded passages and real news with furigana, JLPT colours on every word and one-tap meanings.Read at N5 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
kanaKana ChallengeIf hiragana or katakana still slow you down, the 30-day course fixes that before anything else.Learn kana first

Frequently asked questions

How long is the JLPT N5 test?

90 minutes of test time in 3 sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (20 minutes), Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (40 minutes), Listening (30 minutes). Section times are set by the JLPT and can change.

What score do you need to pass JLPT N5?

80 out of 180 overall, and every scoring section at or above its minimum (38 for Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and 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 N5?

The JLPT publishes no official lists. This site's N5 grammar list has 56 patterns and the Crossword N5 word list has 614 words; other publishers' counts differ because they split patterns differently.

Is there an official JLPT N5 kanji list?

No. KANJIDIC tags about 100 kanji at its lowest level, which textbooks treat as the N5 set; 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 N5?

One per skill: My Senpai Crossword for N5 vocabulary recall, FluencyTool for speaking the N5 sentences and writing kanji, YoMoo for reading with furigana, and Kana Challenge first if you cannot yet read hiragana and katakana. All four are free with one optional purchase to remove ads.