Practice JLPTJLPT Guide · N3 Intermediate
JLPT N3 Pass Mark: What Score You Need to Pass
Everything about passing N3, 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 95 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.
N3 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 | 95 |
N3 is the first level with three separate scores — and oddly, its pass mark (95) is higher than the harder N2's (90). Each level is scored on its own scale.
On official score reports, "Vocabulary & Grammar" appears as Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar).
The two rules for passing N3
Both must be true at the same time:
- Rule 1 — enough points overall: your total is 95 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 125 out of 180 — way past the 95 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 53% of answers correct?
Not exactly. 95 out of 180 is about 53% 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 "53% correct" is only a rough guide. The practical advice: in practice tests, aim comfortably above 95, not just barely over.
What the test looks like on the day
On test day, N3 has three papers: Vocabulary, then Grammar & Reading, then Listening. Your scores get regrouped afterwards — vocabulary and grammar merge into one Vocabulary & Grammar score (out of 60), and Reading gets its own score (out of 60).
What CEFR level is N3?
A passing N3 score maps to one of two CEFR levels (the European scale used on CVs): score 95–103 and you're at A2; score 104–180 and you're at B1. 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.
| N3 total score | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 104–180 | B1 |
| 95–103 | A2 |
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 95?
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.