JLPT exam info: dates, registration, fees & centres

1. Choose your level and know the pass marks

Every level is a separate paper with its own sections and timings. You pass by reaching the overall pass mark and the minimum in every section, so one weak section can fail you even with a high total.

Test time only. Instructions, sign-in and breaks are extra, so plan to be at the venue for most of the day. Source: official JLPT website.

2. Register, in nine steps

1. 1

   Check that you can sit the test

   Months before

   The JLPT is for people whose first language is not Japanese. There is no age limit, and you do not need any prior certificate. Holders of Japanese citizenship can also sit it. Some host centres add their own conditions, so read theirs before you pay anything.

   • Read the eligibility notes on your host centre's page
   • Make sure your name is spelled the same on your passport or ID and on your application

   Watch out: You must take every section. You cannot register for only the sections you want.

2. 2

   Pick your level honestly

   Months before

   Each level is a separate paper, and you choose one level per session. Questions differ by level, so a higher level is not simply a harder version of the same test. Take our level test and a full practice quiz at the level you are considering. If you pass three out of five on each level's questions, that level is a safe choice.

   • Take the free level test
   • Do the full test for your target level
   • Read the pass marks in the table above
3. 3

   Choose your session and your centre

   About 5 to 6 months before

   The JLPT is held twice a year, on the first Sunday of July and of December. Outside Japan, a city may hold only one of the two, so check the Jul and Dec marks next to each centre above. Pick the nearest centre that runs the session you want.

   • Compare the centres above
   • Open your host centre's website from the link beside its name
   • Note its registration dates and method

   Watch out: Registration method and dates are set by each host centre, so Delhi, Pune and Chennai can all differ.

4. 4

   Get your documents ready

   Before registration opens

   Most centres ask for a recent passport-size photo, your full name and date of birth as on your ID, your nationality, your contact details and your mother tongue. Keep a clear scan of your photo and your ID ready so the form takes ten minutes, not an evening.

   • A recent passport-size photo (confirm size and background with your centre)
   • A scan or photo of your ID
   • An email address you check every day
   • A phone number that is reachable

   Watch out: Photo size and format differ between centres. A wrong photo is the most common reason for a form being sent back.

5. 5

   Fill in the registration form

   When your centre opens registration

   Registration usually opens about four months before the exam, but the exact days come from your centre. Go to the centre's registration page, create your account or fill in the form, and choose the level and the session. Read the declaration carefully before you tick it.

   • Use your name exactly as on your ID
   • Choose the right level and session before you submit
   • Save or screenshot the confirmation page

   Watch out: Do not wait for the last day. Centres set a closing date, and late applications are usually not accepted.

6. 6

   Pay the exam fee

   During registration

   The fee is set by each host centre and changes from session to session, which is why we do not print a single amount. Payment may be online, by bank transfer or at the centre. Pay only through the method your centre lists on its own site.

   • Check the current fee on your centre's page
   • Pay by the listed method only
   • Keep the receipt and the transaction number

   Watch out: Ask your centre about its refund and transfer rules before you pay. Many centres do not refund fees.

7. 7

   Ask for special arrangements if you need them

   At registration

   If you need support because of a disability or a health condition, tell your host centre when you register, not on exam day. The official JLPT website has a page on Special Testing Accommodations that explains how requests work.

   • Tell your centre what you need
   • Ask what proof they want
   • Get their reply in writing
8. 8

   Check that your registration went through

   A few days after paying

   Look for a confirmation email or a status page from your centre. If you hear nothing in a week, write to them and attach your payment receipt. Check your spam folder too.

   • Look in your inbox and spam folder
   • Email the centre with your receipt if nothing arrives
   • Note your registration or application number
9. 9

   Collect your test voucher

   A few weeks before the exam

   Your host centre issues your test voucher (also called an admission card). It carries your examinee number, level, test site and the reporting time. Print it, stick your photo on if the voucher asks for one, and read the venue address and time at once, not the night before.

   • Print the voucher on paper, in colour if you can
   • Stick your photo where it asks
   • Check your name, level and room
   • Look up the route to the venue and how long it takes

   Watch out: If any detail on the voucher is wrong, tell your centre straight away. Fixing it on exam day is not possible.

3. Exam day, from the week before to the walk home

4. What to bring, and what to leave at home

Misconduct cancels your result for every section. That includes a phone or smartwatch that is on, cheating or helping others, using someone else's identity, ignoring the proctor, taking papers out of the room, and sharing questions or audio online afterwards. Your host centre may add its own rules, so read its notice.

5. After the exam: results, pass or fail, retakes

When results arrive

A Score Report will be mailed to all examinees. In Japan, Score Reports for the July test will be sent in early September and Score Reports for the December test will be sent in early February. To examinees outside of Japan, Score Reports will be sent via local host institutions, and examinees will receive a report for the July test in early October and a report for the December test in early March. If you do not receive a report by the end of the scheduled month, please contact the local institution in the city where you took the test.

How pass or fail is decided

Examinees pass the JLPT when they take all required test sections and (1) have a total score to be at or above the Overall Pass Mark and (2) all scores of scoring sections are to be at or above the Sectional Pass Marks. If there is even one scoring section where the score is below the sectional pass mark, examinees are determined to have failed, no matter how high the total score he/she might have.

If you miss a section

Examinees will be judged to have failed if they miss a required test section. Although they will receive a Score Report, it will not show scores for any test section, including those that have been taken.

Retaking

No. A judgment of pass or fail is made only for examinees who take all sections each time the test is given. Therefore, pass or fail cannot be determined if you take only a section where you previously failed to achieve a minimum score. You will pass the JLPT when you take the test for all sections on a subsequent occasion and earn (1) the minimum acceptable total score and (2) a minimum acceptable score in each Scoring Section. 6．Test results (Score Report and Certificate of Proficiency)

Does the certificate expire?

The JLPT certificate never expires. Results of the old test through 2009 also continue to be valid. However, companies and educational institutions that refer to test results sometimes set a time limit on the certificate. Please inquire at individual companies and educational institutions, as necessary.

Lost your certificate?

A duplicate copy of “Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Certificate of Result and Scores” is available for a fee. Please see “Certificate Issuance” for how to apply.

Read from the official JLPT FAQ on 2 Nov 2026 and refreshed automatically. Outside Japan, reports come through your host centre.

Questions people ask

Official rules checked on the JLPT website on 3 October 2026. Rules and dates can change, and your host centre may add its own. If this page and your centre disagree, follow your centre.