JLPT N1 · 165 minutes · 100/180 to pass

JLPT N1 practice test

Before you sit N1, know its shape: 2 sections, 165 minutes, and a pass mark of 100 out of 180 with a minimum in each section. Everything below is free.

What the N1 exam looks like

Section	Time	What it tests
Language Knowledge & Reading	110 min	abstract vocabulary, formal grammar, editorials and academic prose
Listening	55 min	extended abstract and formal speech
Total	165 min	Scored out of 180

How N1 is scored

You need 100 of 180 overall — but the total alone isn't enough. All three scoring sections need at least 19 of 60 each. N1's margin is the tightest of any level.

This is what catches people out: a strong reader who ignores listening can clear the overall mark and still fail. Check the official figures for your sitting at jlpt.jp, which also publishes free sample questions.

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Timed N1exams with instant scoring run inside the app rather than on this page — the questions stay out of search results so the answers aren't a search away for everyone else sitting them.

JLPT N1 practice test — common questions

How long is the JLPT N1 exam?: 165 minutes of testing time, split across 2 sections: Language Knowledge & Reading (110 min), Listening (55 min). Allow extra for registration and instructions on the day.
What is the passing score for JLPT N1?: 100 out of 180 overall. All three scoring sections need at least 19 of 60 each. N1's margin is the tightest of any level.
Is there a free JLPT N1 practice test?: Yes. Nihon Torii's N1 practice is free with no signup and no review cap — all 1232 N1 kanji with stroke-order writing practice. The Japan Foundation also publishes official sample questions.
How many questions are on the JLPT N1?: The JLPT doesn't publish a fixed question count, and it varies between sittings. What is fixed is the timing and the scoring: 165 minutes, scored out of 180.

Start N1 practice free ← JLPT N1 overview Compare Japanese exams

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Section

Time

What it tests

Language Knowledge & Reading

110 min

abstract vocabulary, formal grammar, editorials and academic prose

Listening

55 min

extended abstract and formal speech

Total

165 min

Scored out of 180

How N1 is scored

You need 100 of 180 overall — but the total alone isn't enough. All three scoring sections need at least 19 of 60 each. N1's margin is the tightest of any level.

JLPT N1 practice test — common questions

How long is the JLPT N1 exam?

165 minutes of testing time, split across 2 sections: Language Knowledge & Reading (110 min), Listening (55 min). Allow extra for registration and instructions on the day.

What is the passing score for JLPT N1?

100 out of 180 overall. All three scoring sections need at least 19 of 60 each. N1's margin is the tightest of any level.

Is there a free JLPT N1 practice test?

Yes. Nihon Torii's N1 practice is free with no signup and no review cap — all 1232 N1 kanji with stroke-order writing practice. The Japan Foundation also publishes official sample questions.

How many questions are on the JLPT N1?

The JLPT doesn't publish a fixed question count, and it varies between sittings. What is fixed is the timing and the scoring: 165 minutes, scored out of 180.