Free Practice Questions for JLPT N1

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Key Facts: JLPT N1 Exam

JLPT N1 requires a total score of at least 100 out of 180, with a minimum of 19 out of 60 in each of three sections.

JLPT N1 is held twice yearly on the first Sunday of July and December at test sites in approximately 85 countries.

JLPT N1 Listening was reduced from 60 minutes to 55 minutes effective the December 2022 administration.

JLPT N1 Reading and Grammar paper lasts 110 minutes with approximately 80–90 questions across 13 question-type blocks.

JLPT N1 certifies proficiency equivalent to CEFR B2–C1; the pass rate is approximately 24–40% of examinees.

JLPT N1 requires knowledge of approximately 10,000 vocabulary words and all 2,000 jōyō kanji.

JLPT certificates issued by the Japan Foundation and JEES have no expiry date.

The Japan Foundation estimates approximately 900 hours of study from beginner level to reach JLPT N1 proficiency.

JLPT N1 is the highest Japanese language certification, testing advanced vocabulary, grammar, academic reading, and natural-speed listening; a 100/180 overall score plus minimum 19/60 per section is required to pass.

Sample JLPT N1 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the JLPT N1 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 150+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。彼女は長年の研究の（　）、画期的な治療法を発見した。

A.末に

B.以来

C.ところで

D.わりに

Explanation: 「末に（すえに）」は「長い時間や努力の結果として」という意味を表す表現です。長年の研究という努力・過程の結果として何かを成し遂げる場合に使います。「長い努力の末に」は N1 レベルの重要表現です。

2次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。彼は問題が（　）や否や、すぐに解決策を提案した。

A.起きる

B.起き

C.起きた

D.起こる

Explanation: 「〜や否や（〜やいなや）」は「〜するとほぼ同時に」という意味で、動詞の連用形（ます形の語幹）に接続します。「起き」は「起きる」の連用形です。この表現は動作の即時性を強調します。

3次の言葉の読み方として正しいものを選んでください。「逡巡」

A.しゅんじゅん

B.じゅんしゅん

C.しゅじゅん

D.じゅしゅん

Explanation: 「逡巡（しゅんじゅん）」は「ためらうこと、決心がつかずにぐずぐずすること」を意味します。難読漢字で、N1 語彙として重要です。例：「逡巡せずに決断した」

4次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。環境問題は個人の努力（　）、国家レベルの政策が不可欠だ。

A.さることながら

B.だけあって

C.につき

D.をもって

Explanation: 「〜さることながら」は「〜はもちろんだが、それ以上に」という意味で、前述の事柄を認めつつ別の重要事項を強調する表現です。「個人の努力はもちろんだが」という含意で文が自然につながります。

5次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。社長は不況を乗り越えた（　）の経験を語った。

A.あかつき

B.きわみ

C.かぎり

D.ゆえ

Explanation: 「あかつき（暁）」は「〜が実現したとき」という意味で、努力や困難の後に達成された結果の時点を指します。「不況を乗り越えた暁の（その後の）経験」という意味で自然な文になります。

6次の文の意味に最も近いものを選んでください。「その計画は現実性に乏しい」

A.その計画は現実的ではない

B.その計画は現実通りだ

C.その計画は現実に役立つ

D.その計画は現実を超えている

Explanation: 「〜に乏しい」は「〜が不十分である、〜が少ない」という意味です。「現実性に乏しい」は「現実性が低い＝現実的でない」ということです。言い換え問題では「乏しい」の意味を正確に把握することが重要です。

7次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。彼の説明は長い（　）、要点が掴めなかった。

A.わりには

B.わりに

C.割れて

D.くせに

Explanation: 「〜わりに（割に）」は「〜のわりには期待した結果と異なる」という対比・逆接を表します。「説明が長いわりに、要点が掴めなかった」は「長いという事実に対して内容が薄い」という意味で自然です。

8次の文の（　）に最もふさわしい語を選んでください。台風が近づいている（　）、遠足は中止になった。

A.とあれば

B.とあって

C.ときたら

D.とすれば

Explanation: 「〜とあって」は「〜という特別な状況なので」という意味で、特定の状況がある理由・背景を示します。「台風が近づいているとあって（＝という特別な事情があるので）、遠足は中止になった」は自然な文です。

9次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。試験に合格できた（　）は、毎日コツコツ勉強したおかげだ。

A.しかるべき

B.かいあって

C.所

D.ゆえん

Explanation: 「ゆえん（所以）」は「〜の理由・根拠」という意味です。「合格できた所以は」は「合格できた理由・訳は」という意味で正しい使い方です。漢字で「所以」とも書きます。

10次の文の（　）に入れるのに最も適切な言葉を選んでください。彼女は喜ぶ（　）、その知らせを聞いて泣き崩れた。

A.どころか

B.かと思いきや

C.ばかりか

D.ながらも

Explanation: 「〜かと思いきや」は「〜と思っていたのに、予想に反して」という意味で、予想外の展開を表します。「喜ぶかと思いきや（＝喜ぶと思っていたが、予想に反して）、泣き崩れた」は驚きの逆展開を自然に表します。

About the JLPT N1 Exam

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N1 is the highest and most advanced level of the JLPT, the world's most widely recognized Japanese language certification. Administered jointly by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES), it is held twice yearly — typically on the first Sunday of July and December — at test sites in approximately 85 countries. N1 certifies that candidates can read writings of logical complexity and abstraction on a variety of topics such as newspaper editorials, critiques, and academic texts, and can comprehend natural-speed conversations, news reports, and lectures across diverse settings. The test consists of two sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading (110 minutes), and Listening (55 minutes, revised down from 60 minutes effective December 2022). Scoring uses Item Response Theory (IRT) scaled scoring across three sections — Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening — each scored 0–60 with a minimum of 19 to pass. Candidates must both meet the overall pass mark of 100/180 and satisfy all three sectional pass marks. The certificate has no expiry date, and approximately 10,000 words and all 2,000 jōyō kanji are required for N1-level competence.

Exam sponsor: Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

110 questions

Time Limit

165 minutes total: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading 110 minutes; Listening 55 minutes.

Passing Score

100 out of 180 overall, with a minimum of 19 out of 60 in each of the three sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar), Reading, and Listening.

Exam / Certification Fees

Varies by country and host institution. Approximately USD 60–80 (USA), SGD 110 (Singapore), AUD 105 (Australia), GBP 100 (UK). Fees are set by local host institutions, not the Japan Foundation directly.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES): official exam information

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

20%

Vocabulary and Kanji

Kanji reading, contextually-defined expressions, paraphrases, and usage questions testing knowledge of approximately 10,000 words and 2,000 kanji.

25%

Grammar

Sentential grammar (choosing correct forms and sentence composition) and text grammar (selecting correct expressions within longer passages), testing all advanced N1 grammar patterns.

35%

Reading Comprehension

Short, mid-size, long, integrated, thematic, and information-retrieval passages drawn from essays, editorials, critiques, academic texts, and literary works.

20%

Listening Comprehension

Task-based comprehension, point comprehension, summary comprehension, quick response, and integrated comprehension from natural-speed conversations, news, and lectures.

Preparing for the JLPT N1 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 100 out of 180 overall, with a minimum of 19 out of 60 in each of the three sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar), Reading, and Listening.
Exam length: 110 questions
Time limit: 165 minutes total: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading 110 minutes; Listening 55 minutes.
Exam / certification fees: Varies by country and host institution. Approximately USD 60–80 (USA), SGD 110 (Singapore), AUD 105 (Australia), GBP 100 (UK). Fees are set by local host institutions, not the Japan Foundation directly. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 150 available questions
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JLPT N1: Suggested Study Strategy

1Build your vocabulary systematically using the Shin Kanzen Master N1 Vocabulary book and Anki SRS flashcard decks — aim to learn all 10,000 N1-level words before the exam.

2Master all N1 grammar patterns by studying Shin Kanzen Master N1 Grammar; focus on subtle distinctions between similar patterns (e.g., 〜にもかかわらず vs 〜ながらも vs 〜ものの) as these differences are directly tested.

3Read authentic Japanese daily — editorial columns (社説), opinion essays, and academic introductions in newspapers like the Asahi Shimbun or Yomiuri build the reading comprehension speed required for the 110-minute paper.

4Practice listening at natural speed by watching NHK news broadcasts, political discussion programs, and university lecture recordings; the N1 Listening section uses formal registers and fast speech without pauses.

5Take full-length timed mock exams (JLPT Official Practice Workbook Vol.1 and Vol.2) to build stamina for the 165-minute sitting and calibrate time allocation across Vocabulary/Grammar and Reading.

6Prioritize the Reading section — it carries the highest section weighting and the long passages require at least 70 minutes; many candidates fail N1 by spending too long on Vocabulary/Grammar and running out of time for Reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the JLPT N1 and who administers it?

The JLPT N1 is the highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, administered jointly by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES). It certifies that candidates can understand Japanese in a wide variety of circumstances at an advanced level, equivalent to CEFR B2–C1.

How is the JLPT N1 scored and what score do I need to pass?

JLPT N1 uses scaled IRT scoring across three sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening), each scored 0–60, for a total of 0–180. To pass you need a total score of at least 100 AND a minimum of 19 in each of the three sections. Failing any one section means overall failure regardless of total score.

What sections does the JLPT N1 contain?

The N1 has two test papers: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) and Reading, lasting 110 minutes; and Listening, lasting 55 minutes. For scoring purposes, Language Knowledge and Reading are assessed as separate sections. Question types include kanji reading, vocabulary, sentential grammar, text grammar, several reading passage formats, and five types of listening comprehension.

When and where is the JLPT N1 held in 2026?

In 2026 the JLPT is held on Sunday, July 5 (1st test) and Sunday, December 6 (2nd test) in Japan. Outside Japan, dates may vary by city — some locations offer only the July or December session. The test is available in approximately 85 countries and nearly 250 cities worldwide.

How long does it take to prepare for JLPT N1?

The Japan Foundation estimates approximately 900+ hours of study from a beginner level to reach N1. Candidates already holding N2 typically need an additional 6–12 months of focused study. N1 requires knowledge of approximately 10,000 words and all 2,000 jōyō kanji.

Does the JLPT N1 certificate expire?

No. JLPT certificates have no expiry date. Once awarded, the certificate remains valid indefinitely. However, some employers and universities may require a certificate obtained within a recent timeframe, so it is advisable to check the specific requirements of the institution or employer.