Oct 26 to Dec 6, 2026 · updated October 23, 2026
JLPT N3 6-week study plan for December 6, 2026
Six weeks is enough time to find the N3 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 N3 practice sets here are past-exam question sets, each in two parts: vocabulary & kanji (timer 30 minutes) and grammar & reading (timer 70 minutes). Those are the official section times. 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 N3 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 | · 45 min | N3 July 2024 set: vocabulary & kanji | Read the vocabulary guide's traps first (10 minutes), then do this set with a 30-minute timer. |
| Wed, Oct 28 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 July 2024 set: grammar & reading | Do the second part of the same set with a 70-minute timer. Mark every question you guessed. |
| Thu, Oct 29 | · Vocabulary & kanji | · 45 min | N3 December 2023 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do the next set. After it, list each wrong answer by question type, not by word. |
| Fri, Oct 30 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 December 2023 set: grammar & 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 | N3 listening practice test 1 | Listen once at exam speed with no transcript, then check answers and replay only the ones you missed. |
| 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 | N3 reading guide | Read the reading guide and its sample. Note the question type you miss most. |
| Tue, Nov 3 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 July 2023 set: grammar & reading | Do this set's second part. Before answering, read the question first, then the passage. |
| Wed, Nov 4 | · Vocabulary & kanji | · 45 min | N3 July 2023 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set, then redo the misses without looking at the explanations. |
| Thu, Nov 5 | · Grammar | · 25 min | N3 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 | · 45 min | N3 December 2022 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set. Time yourself per question type: where do you slow down? |
| Sat, Nov 7 | · Listening | · 55 min | N3 listening practice test 2 | Do this listening set once at exam speed, then shadow two of the conversations you missed. |
| Sun, Nov 8 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 December 2022 set: grammar & 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 | · 45 min | N3 July 2022 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set in one go with a strict 30-minute timer. Skip and come back rather than stall. |
| Tue, Nov 10 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 July 2022 set: grammar & reading | Do the second part with a strict 70-minute timer. Leave no question blank. |
| Wed, Nov 11 | · Kanji | · 25 min | N3 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 N3 mock test sample | Do the 10-question N3 mock test sample and check each explanation. |
| Fri, Nov 13 | · Mini mock | · 20 min | Free N3 mini mock (16 questions) | Retake the mini mock and compare with week 1. Did the weak skill go up? |
| Sat, Nov 14 | · Listening | · 55 min | N3 listening practice test 3 | Do the last listening set at exam speed. Note the question types where you lose the thread. |
| 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 | · 45 min | N3 December 2021 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set on the timer. |
| Tue, Nov 17 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 December 2021 set: grammar & reading | Do the second part on the timer. |
| Wed, Nov 18 | · Vocabulary & kanji | · 45 min | N3 July 2021 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set on the timer, then redo the misses. |
| Thu, Nov 19 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 July 2021 set: grammar & 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 | · 100 min | Free N3 full mock (100 minutes) | Take the free full mock in one sitting: 100 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 and grammar & 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 | · 45 min | N3 December 2020 set: vocabulary & kanji | Do this set on the timer, focused on the 5 question types from Sunday. |
| Tue, Nov 24 | · Grammar & reading | · 85 min | N3 December 2020 set: grammar & reading | Do the second part on the timer. |
| Wed, Nov 25 | · Vocabulary | · 25 min | N3 vocabulary guide | Reread the vocabulary guide's traps and redo the vocabulary misses on your list. |
| Thu, Nov 26 | · Listening | · 55 min | N3 listening practice test 1 | Redo listening set 1 without looking at your old answers. You should now catch what you missed in week 1. |
| Fri, Nov 27 | · Review | · 20 min | None | Light day: redo your miss list only. |
| Sat, Nov 28 | · Final mock 1 | · 100 min | Final Mock 1Free option: N3 December 2019 set, both parts back to back | Take Final Mock 1 from the N3 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 | · 100 min | Final Mock 2Free option: Free N3 mini mock, then your miss list | Take Final Mock 2 from the N3 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 | N3 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 N3 exam. Arrive early. In each section, skip a hard question and come back to it. |
Weeks 5 and 6: the N3 Final Mock Pack
By week 5 you have seen the free sets. The Final Mock Pack has 2 original timed N3 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 N3 Final Mock Pack
2 original timed N3 mocks: vocabulary, grammar and reading.
or get the full JLPT N3 Study Pack for US$9.99 (includes these mocks)
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