Oct 26 to Dec 6, 2026 · updated October 23, 2026
JLPT N1 6-week study plan for December 6, 2026
Six weeks is enough time to find the N1 question types that cost you points, fix them, and get used to the real time limits. Each day below has one task, a time and a free practice set on this site.
Starting later than October 26? Start at the week that matches today, and take the mini mock first.
The plan, week by week
- Week 1 (Mon, Oct 26 to Sun, Nov 1): Find your gaps. Take a baseline, then work through two full sets so you know which question types cost you points.
- Week 2 (Mon, Nov 2 to Sun, Nov 8): Fix the weakest question types. Spend most of the week on the skill your mini mock flagged, with the skill guides open.
- Week 3 (Mon, Nov 9 to Sun, Nov 15): Work under the clock. Every set this week runs on the real section timer, so the exam's pace feels normal.
- Week 4 (Mon, Nov 16 to Sun, Nov 22): First full rehearsal. Two more sets, then a full timed mock on Saturday at the time your exam starts.
- Week 5 (Mon, Nov 23 to Sun, Nov 29): Final mocks. Questions you have never seen, under exam conditions. This is where the Final Mock Pack comes in.
- Week 6 (Mon, Nov 30 to Sun, Dec 6): Taper and exam day. One last mock early in the week, then lighter days so you arrive rested on Sunday.
The N1 practice sets here are past-exam question sets, each in two parts: vocabulary, kanji & grammar (timer 40 minutes) and reading (timer 70 minutes). The real N1 exam times both parts together, so the split is our suggestion and adds up to the official total. Minutes in the tables include about 15 minutes to review each set. Official test sections and times (jlpt.jp) ↗
Week 1: Find your gaps
Mon, Oct 26 to Sun, Nov 1
Take a baseline, then work through two full sets so you know which question types cost you points.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 26 | · Mini mock | · 20 min | Free N1 mini mock (16 questions) | Take the timed mini mock cold. Write down the skill with the lowest score: that is your focus for weeks 2 and 3. |
| Tue, Oct 27 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 December 2023 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Read the vocabulary guide's traps first (10 minutes), then do this set with a 40-minute timer. |
| Wed, Oct 28 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 December 2023 set: reading | Do the second part of the same set with a 70-minute timer. Mark every question you guessed. |
| Thu, Oct 29 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 July 2023 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do the next set. After it, list each wrong answer by question type, not by word. |
| Fri, Oct 30 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 July 2023 set: reading | Do the second part. For each wrong reading answer, find the sentence in the passage that gives the answer. |
| Sat, Oct 31 | · Listening | · 55 min | Official sample questions (jlpt.jp) ↗ | We have no N1 listening sets yet. Do the listening part of the official sample questions on jlpt.jp, at full speed and without pausing. |
| Sun, Nov 1 | · Review | · 30 min | None | Redo every question you missed or guessed this week. Count your misses by question type. |
Week 2: Fix the weakest question types
Mon, Nov 2 to Sun, Nov 8
Spend most of the week on the skill your mini mock flagged, with the skill guides open.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 2 | · Reading | · 20 min | N1 reading guide | Read the reading guide and its sample. Note the question type you miss most. |
| Tue, Nov 3 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 December 2022 set: reading | Do this set's second part. Before answering, read the question first, then the passage. |
| Wed, Nov 4 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 December 2022 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set, then redo the misses without looking at the explanations. |
| Thu, Nov 5 | · Grammar | · 25 min | N1 grammar guide | Read the grammar guide's traps. Write one example sentence for each grammar point you missed so far. |
| Fri, Nov 6 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 July 2022 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set. Time yourself per question type: where do you slow down? |
| Sat, Nov 7 | · Listening | · 30 min | Official sample questions (jlpt.jp) ↗ | Replay the official N1 sample listening and shadow it: pause after each line and repeat it out loud. |
| Sun, Nov 8 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 July 2022 set: reading | Do this set's second part, then add every miss to your list. |
Week 3: Work under the clock
Mon, Nov 9 to Sun, Nov 15
Every set this week runs on the real section timer, so the exam's pace feels normal.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 9 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 December 2021 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set in one go with a strict 40-minute timer. Skip and come back rather than stall. |
| Tue, Nov 10 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 December 2021 set: reading | Do the second part with a strict 70-minute timer. Leave no question blank. |
| Wed, Nov 11 | · Kanji | · 25 min | N1 kanji guide | Read the kanji guide, then redo every kanji question you missed in weeks 1 and 2. |
| Thu, Nov 12 | · Mock sample | · 15 min | Free N1 mock test sample | Do the 10-question N1 mock test sample and check each explanation. |
| Fri, Nov 13 | · Mini mock | · 20 min | Free N1 mini mock (16 questions) | Retake the mini mock and compare with week 1. Did the weak skill go up? |
| Sat, Nov 14 | · Listening | · 30 min | Official sample questions (jlpt.jp) ↗ | Replay the official N1 sample listening and shadow it: pause after each line and repeat it out loud. |
| Sun, Nov 15 | · Review | · 40 min | None | Redo your full miss list from weeks 1 to 3. Drop the questions you now get right. |
Week 4: First full rehearsal
Mon, Nov 16 to Sun, Nov 22
Two more sets, then a full timed mock on Saturday at the time your exam starts.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 16 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 July 2021 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set on the timer. |
| Tue, Nov 17 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 July 2021 set: reading | Do the second part on the timer. |
| Wed, Nov 18 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 December 2020 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set on the timer, then redo the misses. |
| Thu, Nov 19 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 December 2020 set: reading | Do the second part on the timer, then redo the misses. |
| Fri, Nov 20 | · Review | · 20 min | None | Light day: reread your miss list and the guide for your weakest skill. No new sets. |
| Sat, Nov 21 | · Full mock | · 110 min | Free N1 full mock (110 minutes) | Take the free full mock in one sitting: 110 minutes, no pauses, phone away. Start at the time your exam starts. |
| Sun, Nov 22 | · Review | · 45 min | None | Go through every wrong answer from the mock. Write down the 5 question types you still miss most. |
The free full mock covers vocabulary, kanji & grammar and reading, not listening.
Week 5: Final mocks
Mon, Nov 23 to Sun, Nov 29
Questions you have never seen, under exam conditions. This is where the Final Mock Pack comes in.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 23 | · Vocabulary, kanji & grammar | · 55 min | N1 December 2019 set: vocabulary, kanji & grammar | Do this set on the timer, focused on the 5 question types from Sunday. |
| Tue, Nov 24 | · Reading | · 85 min | N1 December 2019 set: reading | Do the second part on the timer. |
| Wed, Nov 25 | · Vocabulary | · 25 min | N1 vocabulary guide | Reread the vocabulary guide's traps and redo the vocabulary misses on your list. |
| Thu, Nov 26 | · Listening | · 55 min | Official sample questions (jlpt.jp) ↗ | We have no N1 listening sets yet. Do the listening part of the official sample questions on jlpt.jp, at full speed and without pausing. |
| Fri, Nov 27 | · Review | · 20 min | None | Light day: redo your miss list only. |
| Sat, Nov 28 | · Final mock 1 | · 110 min | Final Mock 1Free option: N1 July 2019 set, both parts back to back | Take Final Mock 1 from the N1 Final Mock Pack in one sitting, timed like the exam. |
| Sun, Nov 29 | · Review | · 45 min | None | Review every wrong answer from the mock. Note what you will do differently on the day. |
Week 6: Taper and exam day
Mon, Nov 30 to Sun, Dec 6
One last mock early in the week, then lighter days so you arrive rested on Sunday.
| Day | Section | Min | Practice | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Nov 30 | · Review | · 30 min | None | Redo your miss list one last time. |
| Tue, Dec 1 | · Final mock 2 | · 110 min | Final Mock 2Free option: Free N1 mini mock, then your miss list | Take Final Mock 2 from the N1 Final Mock Pack, timed like the exam. |
| Wed, Dec 2 | · Review | · 40 min | None | Review the mock's misses. Then stop adding new material. |
| Thu, Dec 3 | · Grammar | · 20 min | N1 grammar guide | Skim the grammar and reading guides' traps once. Nothing new. |
| Fri, Dec 4 | · Review | · 20 min | None | Short vocabulary review from your own list. Pack your test voucher, photo ID, pencils and eraser. |
| Sat, Dec 5 | · Rest | – | JLPT test dates and exam-day checklist | Rest. Check your test venue, start time and travel on the JLPT test dates page. |
| Sun, Dec 6 | · Exam day | – | None | The N1 exam. Arrive early. In each section, skip a hard question and come back to it. |
Weeks 5 and 6: the N1 Final Mock Pack
By week 5 you have seen the free sets. The Final Mock Pack has 2 original timed N1 mocks (vocabulary, grammar and reading, no listening) you have never seen, for Final Mock 1 and Final Mock 2. If you skip it, use the free option in each table.
JLPT N1 Final Mock Pack
2 original timed N1 mocks: vocabulary, grammar and reading.
or get the full JLPT N1 Study Pack for US$9.99 (includes these mocks)
JLPT Practice Test is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the JLPT administering organizations.