How Long Does It Take to Pass JLPT N1? An Overview

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a standardized test of the Japanese language, and N1 is the highest level of the test. Passing the JLPT N1 is a major achievement, but it’s also notoriously difficult: the pass rate hovers around 30%.

So how long does it take to pass the N1? This guide breaks down study hours, strategies, and essential tips to help you prepare effectively.

We'll cover:

The JLPT in a nutshell

Created in 1984, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or the 日本語能力試験 (Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken), is the most widely recognized certification of Japanese language ability.

Generally speaking, Japanese companies expect that foreign job applicants will have passed the JLPT N2 or the JLPT N1.

Required knowledge for the JLPT N1

According to the JLPT website, passing the N1 indicates that you are able to "understand Japanese used in a wide variety of circumstances." Importantly, the word "understand" is used here because the JLPT does not test one's ability to speak or write Japanese.

More concretely speaking, in 2012 the JLPT foundation did a survey of people who barely passed each JLPT level, requesting them to self-assess their Japanese.

According to the survey, of people who passed the JLPT N1:

JLPT N1 test structure and question types

Like the JLPT N2, the JLPT N1 is broken into two sections.

To pass, you need a minimum overall score of 100 out of 180, and to earn at least 19 points in each section. The reason the passing score is so low is because JLPT scores are curved in a certain way, which we'll discuss in the section entitled Why Is the JLPT N1 Pass Rate So Low?

For now, here's the sort of stuff you'll encounter on the JLPT N1:

Language Knowledge & Reading

This first portion of the test is broken into two subparts, a test of general language knowledge (vocabulary and grammar) and a reading test. These two tests are contained within the same booklet and there is not a break between them.

Here is a link to a brief sample test:

Language knowledge test

There are not official lists, but looking at past exams, it's generally estimated that you will need to know ~10,000 vocabulary words, ~2,000 kanji, and ~800 grammar points to pass the N1.

The types of kanji/vocabulary questions you'll be asked:

The types of grammar questions you'll be asked:

Whereas virtually all of the grammar up through N2 consists of things you might reasonably hear in a random day in Japan, this changes with the N1. The JLPT N1 grammar points are not necessarily rare or obscure, and you will learn many of them naturally, but they do tend to be things that occur in specific situations. For example, をもって is a phrase used to mark the day that a store opens/closes, a monumental event occurs, or something like that.

Reading comprehension

Reading questions are exactly like they sound: you will be presented with a passage of text and then asked questions about it. The passage could be anything from an opinion article about student clothing guidelines to the fine print on a rent contract to a persuasive essay about environmental conditions, or even a magazine article about outer space. As stated, the N1's goal is to test your ability to understand Japanese as used in a "wide variety" of circumstances.

After reading your article, you'll be asked several different types of questions:

Listening Comprehension

The listening comprehension questions are straightforward, but tricky if you go in unprepared. For some questions, you will be able to see the possible answers while listening to a dialogue. For other questions, you will not be able to see the potential answers until the dialogue has ended. Each type of question asks you to listen for a different type of information, and the question audio will only be played once.

You'll be presented with five types of listening questions, corresponding to questions 14–18 on that same JLPT N1 sample test.

Why Is the JLPT N1 Pass Rate So Low?

As mentioned in the beginning of the article, the pass rate for the JLPT N1 is around 30%. That sounds kind of crazy, considering that you only need to earn a 100/180 (~55%) to pass.

So, what makes the JLPT N1 so hard?

Tests are graded on a curve

JLPT scores follow a grading paradigm known as item response theory (IRT), which basically means three things:

You can see this discussed in the context of the JLPT here, and you can see the math behind the JLPT scale here.

The result of these factors is that getting 180 points means you tested in the top 0.6% of testers, not that you got all of the questions right. Similarly, two people who both get 50 questions right may end up with different scores, depending on which questions they got right.

This style of grading is done to account for the fact that the questions on some years may be harder than other years. The curve helps keep the difficulty level consistent by giving test takers a bit of cushion on hard years but not giving them a free pass on easy years.

Test takers do not prepare for the JLPT question types

As shown above, the JLPT asks you to answer some pretty specific types of questions. Some of those questions are tricky, especially if you don't know what you're getting into beforehand. Some of the questions, in my opinion, are less about testing your ability to understand Japanese and more about testing your ability to quickly memorize bits of information in Japanese.

My anecdotal experience:

So, learn from my mistakes. Take a few hours to read up on the JLPT test structure. You don't want to fail the JLPT because you misunderstood the test, despite actually being pretty good at Japanese.

Test takers do not consume an adequate variety of Japanese content

If you skipped to this section, go ahead and skim the above section really quick, too. As you can see, the JLPT asks you to consume a wide variety of Japanese materials—everything from academic articles to opinion pieces in the newspaper to advertisements to work emails to excerpts from novels.

If you don't live in Japan, chances are that you've got a pretty specific niche in Japanese. The JLPT reading isn't particularly hard, but it is broad. If you've never read a rental contract in Japanese or skimmed a newspaper editorial about the morality (or lack thereof) of whaling, and the first time you encounter that kind of content is in the JLPT, you'll struggle a bit.

Test takers lack stamina

This isn't meant to be insulting. The JLPT is long. If you're not in the habit of sitting down and spending an evening entirely in Japanese, the test will be draining.

How Many Study Hours Does It Take to Pass the JLPT N1?

Passing the N1 will require a significant time investment.

So if we assume you don't know kanji already and plug the above numbers into a calculator, passing the JLPT N1 from zero will take:

Study Plan for JLPT N1 Success with Migaku

Learning Japanese will be a serious commitment, but the good news is that incredible tools have been made to support Japanese learners. You no longer need to go to Japan to study at a Japanese cram school, and you can likely get by even without a teacher.

Here's how people learn Japanese with Migaku:

Learn the basics with a frequency-focused course

We have reviewed several Japanese textbooks, but every one we've looked at has suffered from the same critical error: they teach you the things that somebody else thinks you need to learn, and this isn't based in any sort objective reality.

Migaku took a different approach.

The result is a course that all you have to do to learn the basics of Japanese is log into Migaku each day and follow along. Furthermore, we don't teach you any fluff. Every minute you spend and every bit of effort you exert is going towards precisely the things that you need to learn to go from not understanding Japanese to comfortably watching Netflix.

You can learn more about our approach to vocabulary here.

Alternatively, you can see an introduction to our two courses here:

Consume a ton of Japanese content that you enjoy

After finishing the Japanese Academy, you're ready to harness the true power of Migaku.

Migaku boots up alongside Netflix (or YouTube, Viki, Disney+, etc) and enhances the Japanese content you watch on it, as shown below:

(This screenshot comes from one of our more advanced users—he knows over 11,000 words!)

The main functionality we add to subtitles comes when you stumble across an unknown word. For example, in the below screenshot you can see that the word 親愛 is underlined in red. Let's click on it!

A definition of the word pops up. Clicking the grey circle icons lets you reference additional sources of information, including:

If you decide the word is interesting, then you just have to click that orange button you see in the top-right corner of the popup interface. Doing so will automatically generate a flashcard that looks like this:

The flashcard contains:

And these flashcards are scheduled for you to review by the same algorithm that manages our Migaku Fundamentals and Migaku Academy courses, ensuring you'll eventually commit the word to memory.

This out of the way, you're ready for the second-longest stretch of your Japanese journey. It will take a lot of time, but it should also be a lot of fun: you'll be using Japanese to do things that are enjoyable or important to you, and getting better as you do so.

(P.S. — It doesn't have to be just movies! Migaku works on pretty much anything on the internet that has copyable text.)

JLPT prep

Eventually, after a couple thousand hours of reading, listening, and watching, you're going to reach a point where Japanese no longer feels like a foreign language. You can read and watch pretty much whatever you want, and it doesn't take much effort to understand those things. You rarely encounter new kanji, and your Migaku word count is over 10,000.

Now, if you want to be formally recognized for your achievements, it's time for the last leg of the race.

If taking tests makes you nervous, I recommend sitting the test below the level you plan to take. For example, if you're planning to take the N1, then go ahead and take the N2 instead. This will let you acclimate to the test, enabling you to go into the N1 ready to focus on doing your best.

How to sign up for the JLPT N1

Different institutions handle the JLPT examinations held around the world, so we unfortunately can't tell you what to do given your specific situation.

If you take the July test, you will get your results in ~September.

If you take the December test, you will get your results in ~March.

Practical advice/warnings for the day of the test

The JLPT is quite strict, so here's some stuff you should be aware of ahead of time to avoid stressing more than necessary during the test.

The JLPT N1 has one break. It occurs between the "language knowledge & reading comprehension" portion of the test and the "listening comprehension" portion of the test. You will be allowed to go to the bathroom during this time, may eat snacks or get a drink, and may use your phone.

Here's a sample of the instructions that will be sent out when you register for the test: 2022 JLPT Test Site Information — New York, NY.

So... Can you pass the JLPT N1?

Passing JLPT N1 is no small feat, but with the right study plan, tools, and mindset, it’s entirely doable. Remember that consistency is key, and balancing all aspects—kanji, vocabulary, reading, grammar, and listening—is essential for success.

Of course, given that this will be a long-term commitment, it's also important to study in a sustainable fashion. Try to learn in a way that's fun!

And if the test is next week and you're Googling this because you're woefully unprepared, just like I was—take a deep breath. It'll be tough, but you'll be fine. You'll either pass, or come away with a clear weakness that you can focus on for next time.

Good luck!