Best books for JLPT N2 (2026)
For N2 we would pick one grammar book (Shin Kanzen Master N2 Grammar, Try! N2 or So-matome N2) plus Shin Kanzen Master N2 Reading. At N2 the grammar, vocabulary and reading share one long test section, and many learners lose the most time in reading.
| Book | What it covers | Exam section | Who it suits | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shin Kanzen Master N2 Grammar ↗3A Network | CoversN2 grammar patterns grouped by meaning, each followed by drills | Exam sectionGrammar | SuitsLearners who passed N3 and want the most thorough N2 grammar book | LanguageJapanese with some English |
| Shin Kanzen Master N2 Reading ↗3A Network | CoversHow to read each kind of N2 passage, with practice passages and questions | Exam sectionReading | SuitsLearners who run out of time in the reading part | LanguageJapanese with some English |
| Try! JLPT N2 (Revised Edition, English) ↗Ask Publishing | CoversN2 grammar taught through short scenes, then practice questions | Exam sectionGrammar | SuitsSelf-studiers who want explanations in English | LanguageJapanese with English explanations |
| Nihongo So-matome N2 Grammar (Revised Edition) ↗Ask Publishing | CoversN2 grammar in short daily units, arranged week by week | Exam sectionGrammar | SuitsBusy learners who want a fixed daily plan before the exam | LanguageJapanese with English, Chinese and Korean translations |
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If you only buy one
- If you passed N3 and want the most thorough grammar book: Shin Kanzen Master N2 Grammar
- If you run out of time in the reading part: Shin Kanzen Master N2 Reading
- If you want grammar explained in English: Try! N2
- If you have little time and want a fixed daily plan: Nihongo So-matome N2 Grammar
Shin Kanzen Master or Try! for N2 grammar?
Shin Kanzen Master N2 Grammar is the more thorough of the two and drills the exam's formats, with explanations mostly in Japanese. Try! N2 teaches the same level through short scenes with English explanations, so it is easier to self-study but gives less exam-format practice.
Which part of the N2 exam each book trains
The N2 exam takes 155 minutes. You need 90 of 180 points overall and the minimum in every scored section.
Language Knowledge and Reading 文字・語彙・文法・読解
105 minutes
Books: Shin Kanzen Master N2 Grammar, Shin Kanzen Master N2 Reading, Try! N2, Nihongo So-matome N2 Grammar
Free practice here: N2 vocabulary, N2 grammar, N2 reading
Listening 聴解
50 minutes
Books: none of our picks
How to use them with our free N2 tests
- Take one N2 past-exam question set here under time pressure. If you finish grammar fine but run out of time in reading, start with the reading book.
- Work through your grammar book, and after each week do the grammar questions from another N2 set.
- Practice vocabulary and kanji on the N2 pages here; none of these books covers them.
- In the last weeks, rehearse full timing with the two original timed mocks in the Final Mock Pack.
JLPT N2 Final Mock Pack
2 original timed N2 mocks: vocabulary, grammar and reading.
or get the full JLPT N2 Study Pack for US$9.99 (includes these mocks)
What these books leave out
No listening book is on this list, and we have no N2 listening practice yet. Shin Kanzen Master also publishes an N2 listening book in the same series.
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