Practice JLPTJLPT Guide · N1 Advanced
JLPT N1 Pass Mark: What Score You Need to Pass
Everything about passing N1, in plain English: the exact points you need, the section minimums that catch people out, and what your score actually means.
Quick answer
- You need 100 out of 180 points in total.
- You also need at least 19/60 in Vocabulary & Grammar and 19/60 in Reading and 19/60 in Listening.
- Meet both and you pass. Miss either one and you fail.
N1 pass marks at a glance
| Section | Score range | Minimum to pass |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary & Grammar | 0–60 | 19 |
| Reading | 0–60 | 19 |
| Listening | 0–60 | 19 |
| Total | 0–180 | 100 |
N1 has the highest pass mark of any level — just over half the available points.
On official score reports, "Vocabulary & Grammar" appears as Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar).
The two rules for passing N1
Both must be true at the same time:
- Rule 1 — enough points overall: your total is 100 or higher.
- Rule 2 — no section left behind: 19 out of 60 in Vocabulary & Grammar and 19 out of 60 in Reading and 19 out of 60 in Listening.
Rule 2 is the one that surprises people. Imagine scoring 130 out of 180 — way past the 100 needed — but only 17 out of 60 in Listening. That's a fail, because Listening needed 19. The minimums are low (about a third of each section), so they won't punish an off day — they only stop you if one skill is nearly absent.
Also: skip any paper on test day and you fail automatically.
Do I need 56% of answers correct?
Not exactly. 100 out of 180 is about 56% of the points — but the JLPT doesn't simply count right answers. It uses scaled scores: your results are adjusted for how hard your particular test was, so scores mean the same thing across test dates. You can't calculate your score from an answer key, and "56% correct" is only a rough guide. The practical advice: in practice tests, aim comfortably above 100, not just barely over.
What the test looks like on the day
On test day, N1 has just two papers: one big Vocabulary, Grammar & Reading paper, then Listening. But you get three scores back — the first paper is split into Vocabulary & Grammar (out of 60) and Reading (out of 60) for scoring.
What CEFR level is N1?
A passing N1 score maps to one of two CEFR levels (the European scale used on CVs): score 100–141 and you're at B2; score 142–180 and you're at C1. It appears on score reports from the December 2025 test onward, for passers only. Since the JLPT has no speaking or writing section, it describes your reading and listening.
| N1 total score | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 142–180 | C1 |
| 100–141 | B2 |
Your results sheet
Everyone receives a score report; pass and you also get a Certificate of Proficiency — the document schools and employers ask for. The report adds A/B/C grades for each skill area (A: 67%+ correct, B: 34–66%, C: under 34%), which is the easiest way to spot what to study next. These grades never affect pass/fail.
Pass marks for the other levels
Ready to aim past 100?
Source: the official JLPT website (jlpt.jp), run by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. These pass marks have applied since the 2010 tests; CEFR levels appear on score reports from the December 2025 test onward.