CompletedFirst test
Completed. July results became available online in late August; physical delivery timing depends on where you tested.
Reviewed September 24, 2026
2026 JLPT test dates and registration guide
The next confirmed test date is Sunday, December 6, 2026. Registration, city availability, arrival times, and voucher rules differ by location, so use the official regional links below.
Official 2026 schedule
Confirmed JLPT test dates
Japan holds both sittings. Outside Japan, a city may offer July only, December only, both dates, or no test, so the date is not proof that your city is participating.
Next confirmed testSecond test
The next confirmed worldwide JLPT date. Not every country or city offers the December sitting.
2027 dates are not yet confirmed. Do not book travel from a predicted first-Sunday date. Wait for the official worldwide schedule or your local host announcement.
Apply through the correct host
December 2026 registration by region
Outside Japan, the official general window is around August–September, but exact dates, fees, and capacity are local. At this page’s September 24 review, registration had closed in Japan, the United States, Australia, and many European cities. Check your host before making travel plans.
Japan
Closed for December 2026August 24–September 7, 2026; closed early on September 3
Apply through MyJLPT. JEES warned that capacity could close applications before the published deadline, which happened for this sitting.
JEES December 2026 guide ↗United States
Closed for December 2026Staggered opening in mid-August; general registration ended September 16
The United States offers the JLPT in December, not July. AATJ publishes registration, voucher, and test-site instructions.
AATJ JLPT information ↗Canada
Check your city host immediatelyHost-specific, generally during September for the December sitting
Canadian registration and capacity are handled by local hosts. Confirm your city and deadline through the official host listing.
Japan Foundation Toronto ↗Australia
Closed for December 2026August 28–September 10, 2026, or until capacity was reached
The Japan Foundation, Sydney lists participating cities, online application links, test guides, and host contacts.
Japan Foundation, Sydney ↗United Kingdom and Europe
Check the listed local hostUsually August–September, but each host sets its own deadline
Cities may offer July, December, both, or neither. Seats can fill before the stated closing date.
Official overseas host directory ↗Asia and all other overseas locations
Check the listed local hostAround August–September for December; around March–April for July
The official worldwide directory is the authoritative route to each city’s host institution and application method.
Official overseas host directory ↗After the December test
Expected results timeline
- Japan online: MyJLPT from late January 2027; the exact opening date will be announced later.
- Japan mail: JEES plans to send official results and certificates in late February 2027.
- Overseas online: generally late January, for a limited access period announced after the test.
- Overseas physical reports: normally delivered through local hosts around the middle of March.
Do not miss your window
Save these details now
- Keep your examinee registration number and online-results passcode after test day.
- Check your postal and email address before the local correction deadline.
- Online results are temporary; save the score report only through permitted official tools.
- A certificate needed for school, work, or immigration may require a separate reissue request and delivery time.
Know the order and timing
JLPT exam-day schedule by level
The times below are the officially listed answer times. Check-in, instructions, breaks, booklet collection, and local procedures make the total time at the venue longer.
| Level | Section order and listed time | Answer time |
|---|---|---|
| N1 | Language Knowledge and Reading (110 min) → Listening (55 min) | 165 min |
| N2 | Language Knowledge and Reading (105 min) → Listening (50 min) | 155 min |
| N3 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (30 min) → Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (70 min) → Listening (40 min) | 140 min |
| N4 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (25 min) → Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (55 min) → Listening (35 min) | 115 min |
| N5 | Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) (20 min) → Language Knowledge (Grammar) and Reading (40 min) → Listening (30 min) | 90 min |
Japan, December 2026: JEES lists N1 and N2 in the morning, with entry from 8:30–9:10 and a 9:10 start. N3, N4, and N5 are in the afternoon, with entry from 14:30–15:10 and a 15:10 start. Overseas schedules vary. Your voucher and local Test Guide control.
Two requirements, not one
JLPT passing scores and sectional minimums
You must reach the overall pass mark and every sectional minimum. The JLPT uses scaled scores, so raw practice percentages do not convert directly to official scores.
| Level | Overall pass mark | Required sectional minimums |
|---|---|---|
| N5 | 80 / 180 | Language Knowledge and Reading: 38 (0–120) · Listening: 19 (0–60) |
| N4 | 90 / 180 | Language Knowledge and Reading: 38 (0–120) · Listening: 19 (0–60) |
| N3 | 95 / 180 | Language Knowledge: 19 (0–60) · Reading: 19 (0–60) · Listening: 19 (0–60) |
| N2 | 90 / 180 | Language Knowledge: 19 (0–60) · Reading: 19 (0–60) · Listening: 19 (0–60) |
| N1 | 100 / 180 | Language Knowledge: 19 (0–60) · Reading: 19 (0–60) · Listening: 19 (0–60) |
Pack from your local guide
What to bring
- ✓Your printed or otherwise accepted test voucher, exactly as your host instructs.
- ✓The original photo identification accepted by your local Test Guide.
- ✓Several sharpened black HB or No. 2 pencils and a clean plastic eraser.
- ✓Your confirmed route, room, check-in time, and host contact information.
- ✓Only locally permitted personal or medical items, with accommodation approval obtained in advance when required.
Protect your result
Rules worth checking twice
- Complete every required section. Missing a section prevents a passing result.
- At overseas sites, phones, smartwatches, and other camera or communication devices must remain fully powered off through breaks until the test ends.
- Do not use notes, dictionaries, earbuds, or unapproved electronic or medical devices.
- Do not photograph, copy, remove, record, or share test questions or answers.
- Late-admission rules are strict and location-specific. Arrive within the check-in window printed by your host.
Turn the date into a plan
30-day and 7-day JLPT checklists
30 days before
- 1Take one timed diagnostic across every available scoring section and record errors by question type.
- 2Choose the two question types costing the most points and give each three focused sessions per week.
- 3Complete one listening set each week at normal speed, then review missed lines with the transcript.
- 4Run at least two full section-timing rehearsals using the official time limit for your level.
- 5Confirm your voucher, test site, route, permitted identification, and accommodation approval before the final week.
7 days before
- 1Complete the final hard timed session early in the week, not the night before the test.
- 2Review your error log and high-frequency weak points instead of starting a large new resource.
- 3Do one short normal-speed listening drill daily, then stop heavy study the evening before the exam.
- 4Print or download your voucher as instructed and pack accepted ID, several HB or No. 2 pencils, and an eraser.
- 5Recheck arrival time and transit disruptions, set a backup alarm, sleep normally, and arrive before check-in closes.
Prepare from your current level
Practice for the next JLPT
JLPT date and registration questions
When is the next JLPT in 2026?
The next confirmed JLPT date is Sunday, December 6, 2026. Availability differs by country and city, so confirm that your local host offers the December sitting.
Have the 2027 JLPT dates been announced?
Not on the official worldwide schedule as of the September 24, 2026 review of this page. Do not book travel from an estimated date. Wait for the official JLPT site or your local host to publish the 2027 schedule.
Is JLPT registration the same worldwide?
No. Japan uses MyJLPT through JEES. Outside Japan, each local host institution sets its application method, exact window, fee, capacity, voucher process, and test-day instructions.
When will December 2026 JLPT results come out?
Japan plans to show results in MyJLPT from late January 2027 and mail official results in late February. Overseas online results are generally expected in late January, while physical reports are normally delivered through local hosts around mid-March. Exact dates are announced later.
What should I bring to the JLPT?
Follow your local Test Guide. Common requirements include the correct test voucher, accepted original photo identification, several black HB or No. 2 pencils, and a plastic eraser. Local rules determine whether any other item is allowed.
Can a raw practice-test percentage predict my JLPT result?
No. The official JLPT uses scaled scores and requires both the overall pass mark and every sectional minimum. Use practice percentages to diagnose weaknesses, not as a direct score conversion.
Last fact-checked . Review monthly and after official JLPT or local-host announcements.