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JLPT N3: pass score, test sections and how to practice
N3 is the middle of the five levels of the JLPT (日本語能力試験, Japanese-Language Proficiency Test). N3 means everyday Japanese to a certain degree. jlpt.jp calls it a bridge between the basic levels (N5, N4) and the upper levels (N2, N1).
On this page
What JLPT N3 tests
jlpt.jp groups the levels like this: N4 and N5 test basic Japanese learned mainly in class; N1 and N2 test Japanese used in a broad range of real scenes; N3 bridges the two.
- N3 reading: everyday written material with specific content. N3 can grasp summary information such as newspaper headlines. At N3 one can also read slightly difficult everyday writing and understand its main points if alternative phrases are available to help.
- N3 listening: everyday conversations at near-natural speed. In N3 listening, one can also grasp the relationships among the people involved in a conversation.
- The summary is written as reading and listening activities; vocabulary and grammar are required too but not listed.
- Every question is multiple choice, on a computer-scored answer sheet. There is no speaking or writing test. Most questions have four choices; some listening questions have three.
- No question requires specific knowledge of Japanese culture.
Sources: jlpt.jp: summary of each level, jlpt.jp: FAQ
JLPT N3 pass score
You pass N3 with 95 or more out of 180 in total and at least 19 out of 60 in each of the three scoring sections.
| Level | Scoring sections | Total to pass | Minimum in each section | CEFR on the score report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N3 | Vocabulary and grammar (0 to 60); Reading (0 to 60); Listening (0 to 60) | 95 of 180 | 19 of 60; 19 of 60; 19 of 60 | A2 (B1 from 104) |
A score below 19 in any one section is a fail, however high your total. If you miss a section you fail and the score report shows asterisks instead of any section scores. Scores are scaled, so you cannot work out your score by counting correct answers. These pass marks have applied since the July 2010 test (December 2010 for N4 and N5). Everyone gets a score report; people who pass also get a certificate.
Sources: jlpt.jp: scoring and pass marks, jlpt.jp: FAQ, jlpt.jp: CEFR level on score reports
JLPT N3 and CEFR B1: the 104-point line
Not every N3 pass counts as B1. The CEFR level is shown on score reports from the December 2025 JLPT, for reference only.
| Your N3 total score | CEFR level shown on the score report |
|---|---|
| 104 or more | B1 |
| 95 to 103 | A2 |
| Below 95, or below 19 in any section | None. CEFR is shown only to people who pass; failing candidates see an asterisk |
CEFR is given for the total score only, not per section. The CEFR level plays no part in pass or fail. The CEFR level covers linguistic and reception skills; speaking and writing (production and interaction) are not included. Whether a school or employer accepts the CEFR indication is for them to say; ask the institution.
Immigration rules are where B1 matters. ISA gives JLPT N3 as an example of a B1 test for the step to Specified Skilled Worker (ii), but the JLPT itself shows B1 only from 104. ISA's older overview calls its mapping from N levels to CEFR provisional. For permanent residence, B1 or higher Japanese becomes a consideration factor, not an automatic pass or fail line, and the guideline text we read names no JLPT level. If your target says "B1", ask the office that decides whether an N3 pass at 95 to 103 meets it.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency
Is JLPT N3 enough?
It depends on what asks for it. N3 clears the language rule in the first four rows below, falls short in the next three, and is not a pass line for permanent residence.
| What you want | Is N3 enough? | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Specified Skilled Worker (i), most fields | Yes | ISA names JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher for most fields. |
| Japanese language school (Student status) | Yes, and N5 is enough | ISA lists JLPT N5 or higher for language-school entry. |
| Specified Skilled Worker (i), taxi, bus and railway | Yes for now | Taxi and bus drivers (automobile transport) and railway operations staff moved from JLPT N3 to B1-equivalent. B1 is checked for certificate applications from April 1, 2027. An N3 pass shows B1 only at 104 or more. |
| EPA nurse or caregiver candidate | Yes for Vietnam | Vietnamese candidates must hold N3 at entry. Indonesian and Philippine candidates are expected at about N4 at entry and about N3 when work starts, after six months of pre-arrival training, and the Philippines figure is marked under adjustment. |
| University taught in Japanese | No | ISA expects B2 or above from FY2027 entrants. Through FY2029 entrants it accepts a JLPT N2 pass, among other tests, as a guide. One program that does ask for N3: Osaka University's International Undergraduate Program in Science, in its 2024 enrollment guideline, wanted an N3 or higher certificate no more than two years old. |
| Highly Skilled Professional points | No points | N1 earns 15 and N2 earns 10 points under Japan's points system for highly skilled professionals; 70 points qualifies for preferential immigration treatment. |
| Business Manager status | No | The applicant or one full-time employee needs B2-level Japanese: JLPT N2 or higher, BJT 400 or more, or other proof such as 20 or more years of residence or a Japanese degree. |
| Permanent residence | Not a pass line | B1 or higher Japanese becomes a consideration factor for applications from April 1, 2027, not an automatic pass or fail line. An N3 pass shows B1 only at 104 or more. |
The JLPT certificate never expires, though employers and schools can set their own time limits. Every route with its sources: JLPT for visas and work.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF), Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), jlpt.jp: FAQ, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, JICWELS: 2027 EPA intake (PDF), Immigration Services Agency (3), Osaka University IUPS guideline (PDF), jlpt.jp: what the JLPT is used for, Immigration Services Agency (4), Immigration Services Agency (5)
JLPT N3 test sections and times
In Japan, N3, N4 and N5 are afternoon tests: the room opens from 14:30 to 15:10 and the test starts at 15:10. December 2026 N3: Vocabulary 15:10-16:00, Grammar and Reading 16:20-17:45, Listening 18:15-19:10 (ends about 19:10 plus about 20 minutes of collection).
| Level | Session in Japan | Parts and minutes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| N3 | Afternoon | Vocabulary: 30 min; Grammar and reading: 70 min; Listening: 40 min | 140 min |
Section hours include instruction time, not just answering, so the minutes above are answer time and each block on the clock is longer. Late for the first section means you cannot take it; later sections are not scored and you cannot pass. What to bring and the rules: test day guide.
Sources: JEES: December 2026 test guide, JEES: December 2026 test-day guide (PDF), jlpt.jp: test sections and times
What each JLPT N3 section asks
N1, N2 and N3 have three scoring sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening) of 0-60 each, total 0-180. The paper has three timed parts: vocabulary, then grammar and reading together, then listening.
| Timed part | Question types (from jlpt.jp) |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary, 30 minutes | N3 vocabulary questions come in five types: kanji reading, orthography, contextually-defined expressions, paraphrases and usage. |
| Grammar and reading, 70 minutes | N3 grammar questions come in three types: sentential grammar 1 (selecting the grammar form), sentential grammar 2 (sentence composition) and text grammar. N3 reading questions are comprehension of short, mid-size and long passages, and information retrieval. |
| Listening, 40 minutes | N3 listening questions are task-based comprehension, comprehension of key points, comprehension of the general outline, verbal expressions and quick response. |
Two question types appear at N3 but not at N4: reading comprehension of long passages and listening comprehension of the general outline. To see real questions, use practice tests and sample questions.
Sources: jlpt.jp: scoring and pass marks, jlpt.jp: test sections and times
JLPT N3 pass rate
These are the numbers jlpt.jp published for the December 2025 test in Japan.
| Level | Applied | Sat the test | Passed | Passed, Dec 2025 (Japan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N3 | 151,874 | 139,328 | 36,483 | 26.2% |
'Examinees' includes people who sat only some sections, so the pass rate is lower than pass share among people who sat the full test. All levels together passed at 33.5% in Japan in July 2025 and 27.6% in December 2025, so treat one test's N3 rate as a snapshot.
Sources: jlpt.jp: test data by test (1), jlpt.jp: test data by test (2), jlpt.jp: test data by test (3)
How long does it take to reach N3?
We found no published study time for N3 itself. These figures sit around it, and each counts something different.
| Source | What it measures | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| JLPT, old four-level test (before 2010) | Normal study time for old Level 3 (its pass line now matches N4) and old Level 2 (matches N2). N3 sits between them. | About 300 and about 600 classroom hours. 300 to 600 for N3 is our reading of this scale, not a JLPT figure. |
| Minna no Nihongo Shokyu I and II (3A Corporation) | The publisher says Shokyu I equals N5 and Shokyu II equals N4. | About 150 hours each, a publisher estimate. |
| Genki I and II (Japan Times Publishing) | The publisher says Vol. 1 reaches N5 and Vol. 2 raises ability to N4. | About 200 hours for both volumes, a publisher estimate. |
| Marugoto (Japan Foundation) | Coursebooks by CEFR level. The Japan Foundation does not say how they map to JLPT levels. | Elementary (A2): 40 to 60 hours per coursebook. Pre-Intermediate (A2/B1): 60 to 80. Intermediate (B1): about 80 to 120 per coursebook, classroom hours. |
N3 shows as A2 for a pass of 95 to 103 and as B1 from 104, so the Marugoto A2/B1 rows are the nearest match, in our reading. All of these are classroom hours. Even the US State Department says the time for its own Japanese course varies with natural ability, prior experience and classroom time. At 5 hours a week, 300 to 600 hours is 60 to 120 weeks; at 10 hours a week it is 30 to 60 (our arithmetic). Plans, books and apps: study guide.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, jlpt.jp: old four-level test criteria (PDF), 3A: Minna no Nihongo Shokyu I, 3A: Minna no Nihongo Shokyu II, Japan Times: GENKI I, Japan Times: GENKI II, Japan Foundation: Marugoto course details, jlpt.jp: CEFR level on score reports, US State Department: Foreign Service Institute language training
How many kanji, words and grammar points for N3?
JLPT publishes no official vocabulary, kanji or grammar list, so word and kanji counts you see online are estimates. Since 2010 the "Test Content Specifications" with vocabulary, kanji and grammar lists are no longer published. These are the figures that circulate, with whose they are.
| What | Figure | Whose figure |
|---|---|---|
| Kanji | About 300 for old Level 3 and about 1,000 for old Level 2. N3 sits between. | The JLPT's old four-level criteria, not N3 criteria. |
| Kanji | 354 N3 kanji and 88 new readings, for learners who finished the 300 kanji for N4 | 3A Corporation, about its own book (publisher says). |
| Words | About 1,500 for old Level 3 and about 6,000 for old Level 2 | The JLPT's old four-level criteria. |
| Words | 876 words | ALC Press, about its N3 vocabulary book (publisher says). |
| Words | 1,200 words in one book and 1,800 in another | 3A Corporation, about two of its own N3 books (publisher says). |
| Grammar | 110 items in 10 units | ALC Press, about its N3 grammar book (publisher says). |
| Grammar | 127 grammar points | ASK Publishing, about TRY! JLPT N3 (publisher says). |
Publisher word counts for N3 run from 876 to 1,800, so no single number is safe. Each number describes one book's list. The JLPT publishes none.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ (1), jlpt.jp: old four-level test criteria (PDF), jlpt.jp: FAQ (2), 3A Corporation: book page (publisher) (1), ALC Press: book page (publisher) (1), 3A Corporation: book page (publisher) (2), 3A Corporation: book page (publisher) (3), ALC Press: book page (publisher) (2), ASK Publishing: TRY! N3
JLPT N3 reading practice, questions and books
Exact past papers are not published; the workbooks use questions chosen from past tests. The workbooks are free to download, so start there.
- Official Practice Workbook: Each workbook has roughly the number of questions in a real test, chosen from tests since the 2010 revision. jlpt.jp offers the N3 questions, answers, listening scripts and listening audio as free downloads. There are two Official Practice Workbooks per level: one published in 2012 and Vol. 2 in 2018.
- Printed copy: N3 workbook (2012): 93 pages, ISBN 978-4-89358-819-7; Vol. 2: 92 pages, ISBN 978-4-89358-938-5. Each workbook costs 700 yen plus tax; every volume comes with a CD; publisher Bonjinsha.
- Sample questions: jlpt.jp has one example for each question type at each level.
- Reading: N3 reading has short, mid-size and long passages and information retrieval. Start with the workbook's reading questions, then see reading practice for graded readers and other free material.
- Listening: the free workbook has audio for each listening question type.
- Books, as the publishers describe them (we have not tested them): ASK Publishing says TRY! JLPT N3 (English edition) teaches 127 N3-level grammar points and ends with a mock exam that mirrors the real JLPT in format and volume. ASK Publishing says its Nihongo So-matome series is an 8-week course of 2 pages a day with JLPT-style questions. 3A Corporation's Shin Kanzen Master N3 grammar book comes with English and Chinese translation, unlike its N1 and N2 books.
More on workbooks and sample questions: practice tests.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, jlpt.jp: Official Practice Workbook downloads, jlpt.jp: official books, jlpt.jp: sample questions, jlpt.jp: test sections and times, ASK Publishing: TRY! N3, ASK Publishing: So-matome N2 Kanji, 3A: Shin Kanzen Master N3 Grammar
A teacher for the parts you get wrong
The workbook and sample questions above are free. A teacher is the paid option.
italki
- One-to-one lessons by video with a teacher you choose
- Up to 3 trial lessons, one per teacher
- Pay per lesson, no subscription needed
- Fits you if you want a teacher to go through the N3 grammar and reading questions you get wrong, one to one.
- Not for you if you only want practice questions: the free workbook has them. Lessons help you learn the language, and the JLPT has no speaking section to rehearse.
Find a Japanese teacher for JLPT N3 on italki
Opens italki's site (Japanese; English version too)
Sources: jlpt.jp: Official Practice Workbook downloads, jlpt.jp: FAQ
JLPT N3 test date and how to apply
- The next test in Japan is Sunday 6 December 2026. Applications for it closed on 3 September 2026, four days before the 7 September deadline. As of 5 October 2026 no 2027 test date, application window, fee or eligibility rule for Japan is published on info.jees-jlpt.jp or jlpt.jp. The home page lists only the two 2026 tests.
- N3 sells out early. In the July 2026 round, N4 closed on 25 March and N3 at 9:00 on 27 March, about 8 to 10 days after applications opened on 17 March and about 11 days before the 7 April deadline. N3 applications were reopened only for Tokyo and Osaka at 10:00 on 2 September. Anyone applying there tests in Tokyo or Osaka regardless of home address. The reopened N3 slots lasted about an hour: Osaka closed 10:41 and Tokyo 11:20 on 2 September.
- JEES says early closing is because test sites are hard to secure, and it applies to every 2026 test. Apply on the first day the window opens.
- Test fee in Japan: ¥7,500, tax included (2026 tests). 2026 tests in Japan are for non-native speakers who are mid- to long-term residents or special permanent residents. People without a residence card, such as tourists, cannot take the 2026 test in Japan.
Step by step: how to register and apply. After the test: results and scoring.
Sources: jlpt.jp: test sections and times, JEES: home page (1), JEES: home page (2), JEES: notice (1), JEES: notice (2), JEES: notice (3), JEES: December 2026 test guide, JEES: applying in MyJLPT
N3 next to the other levels
Each level is its own paper, and you apply for one level per test.
| Level | What it means (jlpt.jp) | CEFR on the score report | Pass mark | Answer time | Passed, Dec 2025 (Japan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | The ability to understand some basic Japanese | A1 | 80 / 180 | 90 min | 53.5% |
| N4 | Basic Japanese | A2 | 90 / 180 | 115 min | 33.6% |
| N3 | Everyday Japanese to a certain degree | A2 (B1 from 104) | 95 / 180 | 140 min | 26.2% |
| N2 | Everyday Japanese plus a variety of circumstances to a certain degree | B1 (B2 from 112) | 90 / 180 | 155 min | 25.4% |
| N1 | Understanding Japanese used in a variety of circumstances | B2 (C1 from 142) | 100 / 180 | 165 min | 24.0% |
N3's pass mark (95) is higher than N2's and N4's (90). Each level has its own paper, so compare levels by their descriptions. The level below is JLPT N4 and the level above is JLPT N2.
Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, JEES FAQ: applying, jlpt.jp: scoring and pass marks, jlpt.jp: test sections and times, jlpt.jp: summary of each level, jlpt.jp: CEFR level on score reports, jlpt.jp: test data by test
JLPT questions
What is the JLPT N3 pass score?
N3 pass mark 95 of 180, with at least 19 of 60 in each of the three sections. A score below 19 in any one section fails you however high the total.
Is JLPT N3 enough?
It depends on what asks for it. N3 is enough where the rule is N4 or N3, such as Specified Skilled Worker (i) in most fields and Vietnamese EPA nurse and caregiver candidates. It is not enough for a university taught in Japanese, where ISA expects B2, or for Highly Skilled Professional points. The full list is under "Is JLPT N3 enough?" above.
Is JLPT N3 the same as CEFR B1?
Not always. N3: total 95 to 103 is A2, 104 or more is B1. For B1 the official advice is N3 (104 or more) or N2 (up to 111).
How long does it take to study for JLPT N3?
We found no published study time for N3 itself. The old JLPT scale put its Level 3 (now N4) at about 300 classroom hours and its Level 2 (now N2) at about 600. N3 falls between, so 300 to 600 is our reading of that scale, not a JLPT figure.
Where can I practice JLPT N3 reading?
Start with the free Official Practice Workbook on jlpt.jp. N3 reading has short, mid-size and long passages and information retrieval. More free material: JLPT reading practice.
Are JLPT N3 past papers and questions available?
Exact past papers are not published; the workbooks use questions chosen from past tests. Each workbook has roughly the number of questions in a real test, chosen from tests since the 2010 revision. See JLPT practice tests.
How many kanji and words do I need for JLPT N3?
JLPT publishes no official vocabulary, kanji or grammar list, so word and kanji counts you see online are estimates. Publisher word counts for N3 books run from 876 to 1,800, and 3A Corporation's N3 kanji book covers 354 kanji.
When is the next JLPT N3 test?
The next test in Japan is Sunday 6 December 2026, and applications for it have closed. As of 5 October 2026 no 2027 test date, application window, fee or eligibility rule for Japan is published on info.jees-jlpt.jp or jlpt.jp. The home page lists only the two 2026 tests. See JLPT registration.
How we checked
Every fact on this page links to the page it was read from, and our data keeps the quote. We read jlpt.jp (the official JLPT site), the JEES site (the organization that runs the test in Japan), Immigration Services Agency pages and the publishers' own book pages on October 5, 2026. Book descriptions are the publishers' claims, and we have not tested the books. Our 300 to 600 hour range for N3 is our reading of the old JLPT scale, not a JLPT figure. We do not run the test and are not affiliated with it.
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