Official JLPT sample questions vs full practice tests
Short answer: start with the official material, because nothing else is written by the people who set the exam. It shows you every item type and gives you about two full tests per level, with audio and answers, free. What it doesn't give you is volume, online scoring or explanations. Once you have done the official papers, practice sets like ours give you many more papers to work through, scored as you go.
What jlpt.jp gives you free
- Sample questions, 2009 sample papers, and both Official Practice Workbooks (2012 and Vol.2 2018) as PDFs and audio: Downloads, no account
- Full-length sets in the exam's format: Two workbooks, each about one test's worth of questions per level, from past tests since 2010
- Listening practice with audio: Official MP3s with scripts
Sold, not free: Printed Official Practice Workbook (2012, or Vol.2 2018) (¥700 + tax each, per level); Official guidebook with sample questions (¥900 (N1 to N3) or ¥800 (N4, N5) + tax).
What it doesn't give you
- Written explanation for each answer: Answers and listening scripts only
- AI tutor for your mistakes
- Spaced-repetition review
- iOS and Android app: PDF and audio downloads
- Saves your scores and mistakes: PDFs, nothing saved
- Timed mock exam: Full-length workbook PDFs; you time yourself, nothing is scored online
When to use which
- First week: read the official sample questions for your level, so you know every item type.
- Middle weeks: work through practice sets for volume, one section at a time, and look up what you miss.
- Last two weeks: sit the official workbook as a full paper, timed by you, then a timed mock to check your pacing.
Our sets are not official and we never call them that. Where we use past exam sessions at N1 to N3, the past papers page says so.
Side by side
| Feature | Official JLPT samples (jlpt.jp) | JLPT Practice Test(this site) |
|---|---|---|
| Covers N5 to N1Practice for all five JLPT levels. | ||
| Free practice without an accountYou can answer questions without signing up or paying. | Yes Free downloads | Yes All practice sets, the mini mock and the level test |
| Full-length sets in the exam's formatWhole sections or papers laid out like the real test, not single drills. | Yes Two workbooks, each about one test's worth of questions per level, from past tests since 2010 | Yes 105 sets; 85 at N1 to N3 follow past exam sessions |
| Timed mock examA full mock with the exam's time limits. | Partly Full-length workbook PDFs; you time yourself, nothing is scored online | Partly Free 15- to 25-minute mini mock; the full timed mocks are paid and have no listening section |
| Listening practice with audioListening questions you can play and answer. | Yes Official MP3s with scripts | Partly Free sample at N5, N4, N3, N2; full sets need Keiko Pro; no N1 listening yet |
| Written explanation for each answerWhy the right answer is right, written out, not just the answer key. | No Answers and listening scripts only | Partly In the paid mocks and listening sets; free practice sets show the answer only |
| AI tutor for your mistakesAsk an AI to explain a question or a grammar point. | Yes Keiko: 10 free messages a day with a free account | |
| Spaced-repetition reviewBrings back items you got wrong on a schedule (SRS). | Partly Mistakes notebook, and Anki decks in the packs; no built-in SRS course | |
| iOS and Android appA native app in the App Store and Google Play. | No PDF and audio downloads | Yes Keiko JLPT Coach (the AI tutor app), iOS and Android |
| Saves your scores and mistakesResults stay on an account so you can see progress. | No PDFs, nothing saved | Yes Free account |
| Published by the exam organizersMade by the Japan Foundation and JEES, who run the JLPT. | Yes Japan Foundation and JEES | No Independent site |
Checked on each product's own pages (oldest check 2026-11-04). Click a mark to see where.
Pick Official JLPT samples (jlpt.jp) if
Anyone who wants to see the real item types from the people who write the test: one sample per item type, the 2009 sample papers, and the Official Practice Workbooks, which the site says have "almost the same number of questions as an actual test", with audio, answers and listening scripts.
- It's the real thing: made by the organizers, so the format and difficulty are exactly right
- Free official listening audio with scripts at every level, N1 included
- The workbooks are full-length and cover every section, listening too
Pick JLPT Practice Test if
Learners who want many practice papers for the written sections (vocabulary, grammar and reading) in the exam's order (105 sets, 7,406 questions across N5 to N1), free and without an account, plus an AI tutor (Keiko) to explain the questions they miss.
- More free written-section practice papers than the other sites we compared, with no account needed
- Keiko, an AI tutor that explains a missed question in English or Japanese
Start a free set at your level:
Where we're weaker
- We are independent, so no set of ours carries the organizers' authority on format or difficulty
- Their listening audio is free at every level; ours needs Keiko Pro for full sets and has no N1
- If you can only do one or two full papers before the exam, theirs are the ones to do
And in general:
- Free practice sets show the right answer but no written explanation
- No N1 listening, and the full listening sets need Keiko Pro
- No grammar course or built-in spaced repetition
- Our timed mocks have no listening section
- Our N5 and N4 practice sets 3 to 10 are easier than the real exam
- Independent: not made by the people who write the exam
Prices, as of Nov 2026
Official JLPT samples (jlpt.jp) as of Nov 2026
- Sample questions, 2009 sample papers, and both Official Practice Workbooks (2012 and Vol.2 2018) as PDFs and audio: FreeDownloads, no account
- Printed Official Practice Workbook (2012, or Vol.2 2018): ¥700 + tax each, per levelBook with CD, published by Bonjinsha
- Official guidebook with sample questions: ¥900 (N1 to N3) or ¥800 (N4, N5) + tax
JLPT Practice Test as of Nov 2026
- Practice sets, mini mock, level test: FreeNo account needed. A free account saves scores and mistakes.
- Keiko AI tutor (free): Free10 messages a day with a free account
- Final Mock Pack (one level): US$4.992 original timed mocks for one level (vocabulary, grammar and reading), one-time payment
- Study pack (one level): US$9.99Vocabulary and grammar PDFs and Anki decks, plus that level's 2 original mocks, one-time payment
- Keiko Pro: US$4.99 a month or US$39.99 a yearUnlimited Keiko and the full listening sets
- Exam Pass (December 2026): US$34.99All five study packs plus Keiko Pro until Dec 7, 2026, one payment
FAQ
Are the official JLPT sample questions free?
Yes. Sample questions, 2009 sample papers, and both Official Practice Workbooks (2012 and Vol.2 2018) as PDFs and audio: free on jlpt.jp. Printed Official Practice Workbook (2012, or Vol.2 2018): ¥700 + tax each, per level. Official guidebook with sample questions: ¥900 (N1 to N3) or ¥800 (N4, N5) + tax.
Do the official samples have explanations?
Answers and listening scripts only. JLPT Practice Test: in the paid mocks and listening sets; free practice sets show the answer only; Keiko, the AI tutor, can explain a question you ask about (10 free messages a day with a free account).
Is the official workbook a full practice test?
Two workbooks, each about one test's worth of questions per level, from past tests since 2010. Full-length workbook PDFs; you time yourself, nothing is scored online.
Are your practice tests official?
No. JLPT Practice Test is independent and not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or JEES. Use the official material to learn the format, and ours for more practice.
Facts on this page were checked on each product's own site on 2026-11-04. Spotted an error? Email support@sblocktechnologies.com and we'll fix it within a week.
JLPT Practice Test is independent and not affiliated with the JLPT administering organizations.