About the JLPT Exam
What is JLPT (日本語能力試験)?
The purpose of this test is to assess and certify the overall Japanese language proficiency of non-native speakers of Japanese in terms of how much they know about Japanese characters, vocabulary, and grammar, and how well they can use this knowledge in their communication. To take the examination, examinees fill in a scantron. There are five levels from N1 to N5, with N1 being the highest level. The N5 and N4 levels test the basic understanding of students who have studied Japanese. The highest level, N1, is for students who can read newspapers and understand spoken lectures in detail.
The reference indication of the CEFR level for the JLPT will be performed as follows. (JLPT のCEFRレベルの参考表示は以下のように言われます・)
(1) Indication is only shown for those who have passed each level of the JLPT.
For the JLPT, examinees are ascertained to have failed if there is even one scoring section where the score is below the sectional pass mark, no matter how high the total score they might have. In such cases, the CEFR level will also not be shown.
(2) The CEFR level corresponding to the total score of each JLPT level is shown for reference.
The total score is the sum of the scores by scoring section. The total scores for N1, N2, and N3 comprise the scores of "Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)", "Reading", and "Listening", while the total scores for N4 and N5 comprise the scores of "Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)", "Reading", and "Listening."
Specific reference indications are as follows.
For N5, a total score of 80 or higher is indicated as an A1 level.
For N4, a total score of 90 or higher is indicated as an A2 level.
For N3, a total score of 95 to 103 is indicated as an A2 level, and 104 or higher as a B1 level.
For N2, a total score of 90 to 111 is indicated as the B1 level, and 112 or higher is indicated as the B2 level.
For N1, a total score of 100 to 141 is indicated as the B2 level, and 142 or higher as the C1 level.
(3) The CEFR level is indicated for reference for the competence tested by the JLPT.
The "Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)", "Reading", and "Listening" tested by the JLPT correspond to the "Linguistic" and "Reception" in the CEFR. It does not include skills such as "Production (speaking and writing)" and "Interaction" that are not tested by the JLPT.
About the Reference Information ( 参考情報について)
Percentage of Correct Responses (正答率)
Indicates "percentage of correct responses" in each category.
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A Percentage of correct responses is 67% or higher.
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B Percentage of correct responses is between 34% and 66%
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C Percentage of correct responses is less than 34%
Percentile Rank ( パーセンタイルランク)
Indicates the percentage of examinees with a score lower than yours in the six latest tests, including the one you took, on the Certificate of Result and Scores of examinees who passed the test overseas (excluding those who were exempt from the Listening section). It will not be shown for those who did not pass the test (the rank is indicated as ＊).
CEFR Level (CEFRレベル)
(Linguistic, Reception)
Indicates the CEFR level corresponding to the total score. It will not be shown for those who did not pass the test (the level is indicated as ＊).
Examination Period (試験期間と試験場所)
Held two times per year
First round: July / Second round: December