Exam PrepReviews.org

Exam facts & prep options

Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2

Find the current format, timing, scoring, fees, eligibility, and testing options for JLPT N2, with direct links to official sources.

Official exam site
Start preparing1 prep option listed

Jump to prep options ↓

QuestionsNot publicly disclosed — The current first-party exam pages and candidate materials cited for this record were reviewed; they do not publish this field.
Testing time155 minutes total: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading 105 minutes, followed by Listening 50 minutes (allotted times may change; Listening time varies slightly with the length of the recorded material)
ScoringPass requires BOTH: (1) total score at or above the overall pass mark — for N2, 90 of 180 — AND (2) every scoring section (Language Knowledge [Vocabulary/Grammar], Reading, Listening) at or above its sectional pass mark — for N2, 19 of 60 each; one section below its sectional pass mark fails the examinee regardless of total score
Exam feeJPY 7,500 (consumption tax included) per examinee for testing in Japan (JEES 2026 online application, payable by credit card, bank transfer [Pay-easy], or convenience store; nonrefundable); overseas administrations charge host-institution-set fees that are published locally rather than centrally

Prep options

Study resources for JLPT N2

Independent prep

Courses and study resources

Exam overview

What to know before choosing your prep

Who runs it
Japan Foundation
Category
World Language Proficiency
Current version
Current specification; no public version label — the N2 scoring standards (0–60 scoring sections, 0–180 total, 90/19 pass marks) have applied since the July 2010 test
Where it applies
Global
Exam languages
Japanese
Score scale
Each scoring section 0–60 points (Language Knowledge [Vocabulary/Grammar], Reading, Listening); total score 0–180
Testing provider
No commercial testing vendor — administered in Japan by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) and outside Japan by the Japan Foundation through local host institutions
Format
Paper-based, administered in person at designated test sites (in Japan, sites in all 47 prefectures, assigned by postal code within the chosen region); all answers are multiple-choice marked on a computer-scored answer sheet
Availability
Twice a year — one July administration and one December administration (e.g., July 5 and December 6, 2026); in some countries the test is administered only once a year, in either July or December
Results
In Japan, Score Reports are mailed in early September (July test) and early February (December test); overseas examinees receive results via their local host institution in early October (July test) or early March (December test)
Score validity
JLPT certification never expires (results of the old pre-2010 test also remain valid); some employers and schools impose their own recency requirements
Remote testing
Not available

Exam structure

Two test sections in one morning administration: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)・Reading (105 minutes) and Listening (50 minutes). N2 item types per the official composition table — Vocabulary: kanji reading, orthography, contextually-defined expressions, paraphrases, usage; Grammar: sentential grammar 1 (selecting grammar form), sentential grammar 2 (sentence composition), text grammar; Reading: comprehension (short passages), comprehension (mid-size passages), integrated comprehension, thematic comprehension, information retrieval; Listening: task-based comprehension, comprehension of key points, comprehension of general outline, quick response, integrated comprehension. All items multiple-choice; no Speaking or Writing section

Where rules vary

Worldwide language-proficiency exam: administered in Japan (at test sites in all 47 prefectures) and overseas at test site cities spanning 11 listed regions (East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, North Africa, Africa) via local host institutions; in some countries the test is held only once a year, in either July or December. The N2 specification (sections, times, scoring sections, pass marks) is uniform worldwide; application procedures, fees, and result distribution differ by host institution.

Eligibility

Open in principle to non-native speakers of Japanese (Japanese nationality irrelevant, no age limit); in Japan, the 2026 administrations are restricted to mid-to-long-term residents and special permanent residents under Japan's residency management system — a residence card is required at application, and short-term visitors such as tourists are not eligible

Comparing options?

UKBI All World Language Proficiency exams