Practice JLPTJLPT Guide · N5 Beginner
JLPT N5 Requirements: How Many Kanji, Words & Grammar Points?
What N5 actually covers — the kanji, vocabulary and grammar you're expected to know, how long the test runs, and the score you need.
Quick answer
- Typical targets for N5: ≈100 kanji and ≈800 words (cumulative).
- Our free N5 lists: 103 kanji, 668 words and 94 grammar points.
- Test length: 90 minutes · pass mark: 80 / 180.
What N5 certifies
You can understand some basic Japanese: everyday phrases written in hiragana, katakana and simple kanji, and short, slow conversations.
How much you need to know
First, an honest note: the JLPT stopped publishing official content lists in 2010. The "typical target" column shows the widely-used estimates based on past tests; the other columns are this site's own free study lists, which you can start on right now.
| New at N5 | Cumulative (N5→N5) | Typical target | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanji | 103 | 103 | ≈100 |
| Vocabulary | 668 | 668 | ≈800 |
| Grammar points | 94 | 94 | — |
JLPT levels are cumulative: the N5 test freely uses everything from the levels below it (for N5, that just means kana — being able to read hiragana and katakana is assumed).
The test on the day
N5 runs 90 minutes of testing (plus breaks between papers), in 3 papers:
| Paper | Time |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary | 20 minutes |
| Grammar · Reading | 40 minutes |
| Listening | 30 minutes |
Everything is multiple choice, marked on an answer sheet — there is no speaking or writing at any level. To pass you need 80 out of 180 plus a minimum in every scored section; the details are on the N5 pass mark page.
How long will it take?
From zero, reaching N5 typically takes around 325–600 study hours for learners with no prior kanji background — see the study-hours guide for what that means per week, and for the step from your current level.