JLPT Passing Score by Level: N5, N4, N3, N2, and N1 Explained

JLPT Passing Score by Level: N5, N4, N3, N2, and N1 Explained JLPT scores are reported on a scaled 0–180 total. The overall pass mark is 80/180 for N5, 90/180 for N4, 95/180 for N3, 90/180 for N2, and 100/180 for N1 . But total score alone isn't enough — every level also sets a minimum score for each individual section, and missing even one section minimum fails the whole exam no matter how high your total is. What is the passing score for each JLPT level? Level Overall pass mark Sections Sectional minimum N5 80 / 180 Language Knowledge + Reading (combined, /120), Listening (/60) 38 / 120, 19 / 60 N4 90 / 180 Language Knowledge + Reading (combined, /120), Listening (/60) 38 / 120, 19 / 60 N3 95 / 180 Language Knowledge (/60), Reading (/60), Listening (/60) 19 / 60 each N2 90 / 180 Language Knowledge (/60), Reading (/60), Listening (/60) 19 / 60 each N1 100 / 180 Language Knowledge (/60), Reading (/60), Listening (/60) 19 / 60 each Notice N3's overall bar (95) is actually higher than N2's (90) — but N2's sections are considerably harder to score well in, which is why pass rates don't rank in a straight line by level. Why can I fail even with a total score above the pass mark? Because the JLPT applies two separate tests to your result: the total and every individual section. A candidate scoring 105/180 overall on N2 — well above the 90-point mark — still fails outright if their listening section comes in at 17/60, one point under the 19-point floor. This section rule is the single most common reason strong overall scorers still miss a pass, especially since listening is the section learners self-study the least. Why do N4–N5 group sections differently from N1–N3? At N4 and N5, vocabulary, grammar, and reading are graded together as one combined section out of 120, plus a separate listening section out of 60. From N3 upward, the three skills split into fully separate sections, each worth 60 points with its own 19-point floor. That structural shift is part of why N3 often feels like a bigger jump than the score gap alone suggests — you can no longer let a strong reading score cover for a weak grammar section, because they're no longer pooled together. How are JLPT scores calculated if they're not raw percentages? The JLPT uses scaled scoring , called Item Response Theory, rather than counting correct answers directly. This adjusts for slight difficulty differences between test forms across sessions, which is why raw correct-answer counts aren't published — only your scaled section and total scores appear on the report. It also means two candidates who answer the same number of questions correctly on different sessions could technically end up with slightly different scaled scores. What's a realistic study target above the minimum? Don't aim to land exactly on the sectional floor — a 19/60 pass with zero margin is risky if your actual ability dips slightly on exam day nerves or a harder listening set. A more realistic internal target during practice is: Language Knowledge / Reading: aim comfortably above 60–65% of the section total Listening: since it's the section most learners under-practice, treat 19/60 as a floor to clear by a wide margin, not a target to land on exactly Running full JLPT mock tests under timed conditions is the only reliable way to see your actual sectional split rather than guessing from how a study session felt. How do I know which level to prepare for next? If you're between levels, or your last result showed one section far weaker than the others, a placement test gives you an accurate starting point instead of assuming your next level based on the last one you passed. For how each level's content and difficulty connects to the next, see our full JLPT levels explained: a study roadmap from N5 to N1 . Frequently asked questions What is the passing score for JLPT N3? 95 out of 180 total, with a minimum of 19/60 in each of the three sections — Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening. Can I pass the JLPT wi…