The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT / 日本語能力試験) runs from N5 for beginners up to N1 for near-native ability, and many visas, universities, and employers ask for a specific level. This checker estimates where your current knowledge of kanji, vocabulary, and grammar places you so you can register for the right exam.
What each JLPT level requires
The exam is not officially broken down by vocabulary count in the current format, but the commonly cited knowledge targets for each level are:
| Level | Approx. kanji | Approx. vocabulary | Grammar complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | ~100 | ~800 words | Basic sentence patterns, present/past tense |
| N4 | ~300 | ~1,500 words | Intermediate patterns, て-form chains, conditionals |
| N3 | ~650 | ~3,750 words | Everyday expressions, longer texts, nuanced particles |
| N2 | ~1,000 | ~6,000 words | Near-fluent reading; newspapers, functional texts |
| N1 | ~2,000 | ~10,000 words | Advanced; abstract topics, literary and legal Japanese |
These are guide figures, not exam specifications. The actual JLPT does not publish an official kanji list or vocabulary count for N1 and N2.
How the level estimate works
The tool takes your three self-reported inputs — kanji count, vocabulary count, and grammar level — and finds the highest JLPT level for which you meet all three targets. It uses the limiting factor deliberately: because the real exam is balanced across reading, grammar, and vocabulary sections, your weakest area governs the level you can realistically pass, not your strongest. A candidate who knows 8,000 vocabulary words but only N4-level grammar will not pass N1.
Alongside the estimated level the tool shows an approximate CEFR band. CEFR is the framework universities and employers outside Japan often recognise for language qualifications:
| JLPT | Approximate CEFR |
|---|---|
| N5 | A1 |
| N4 | A2 |
| N3 | B1 |
| N2 | B2 |
| N1 | C1 |
This mapping is unofficial — the JLPT organisation does not publish a formal CEFR alignment. Use it as a rough guide when describing your Japanese level to international employers or universities.
How to self-assess accurately
Self-assessment runs optimistic in practice. Useful calibration questions:
- Kanji: Can you read the kanji in an unfamiliar compound and guess the meaning, or just recognise it in the words you already know?
- Vocabulary: Can you use the word correctly in a sentence you haven’t seen, or just recognise it from a flashcard?
- Grammar: Can you construct the pattern spontaneously, or only identify it when you see it?
Because inputs are combined by their weakest link, the fastest way to raise your estimated level is usually to shore up the area you have neglected — most often grammar, which learners tend to under-study relative to vocabulary. Once the tool points you at a level, sit a timed past paper from the JLPT official site before committing to an exam registration.