Free Live Calculators

JLPT Calculator — Pass Mark & Sectional Minimum Checker

Check whether your JLPT N1-N5 scores pass. Enter section scores to see your total and whether you cleared every sectional minimum.

N2 has 3 sections, each scored 0-60. Overall pass mark: 90/180. Each section needs at least 19/60.

Sectional minimum: 19/60

Sectional minimum: 19/60

Sectional minimum: 19/60

N2 Result
93 / 180 — PASS
Pass mark for N2: 90/180
Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar)
35/60 (meets minimum)
Reading
33/60 (meets minimum)
Listening
25/60 (meets minimum)

JLPT pass/fail depends on two separate conditions that must BOTH be true: your total score must meet or exceed the level's overall pass mark, AND every individual section must meet or exceed its own sectional minimum. Meeting the total alone is not enough — a single weak section (most often Listening) can fail an otherwise strong total. N1-N3 use a 3-section structure (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening — 0-60 each); N4-N5 combine Language Knowledge and Reading into one 0-120 section alongside a separate 0-60 Listening section. Pass marks and sectional minimums per official JLPT scoring (jlpt.jp). Always confirm against your official JLPT score report.
90% found this helpful

Reference Values

Last verified:
Category Range What It Means Status
N1 — Overall pass mark ★ 100 / 180 Highest level. Three sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening), each scored 0-60. Must also clear the 19/60 minimum on every section. ★ Best
N2 — Overall pass mark 90 / 180 Three sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening), each scored 0-60. Sectional minimum is 19/60 on each. Good
N3 — Overall pass mark 95 / 180 Three sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening), each scored 0-60. Sectional minimum is 19/60 on each — note N3's overall mark (95) is actually higher than N2's (90) despite N3 being the easier level. Good
N4 — Overall pass mark 90 / 180 Two sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) + Reading combined, scored 0-120; Listening scored 0-60. Okay
N5 — Overall pass mark 80 / 180 Two sections: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar) + Reading combined, scored 0-120; Listening scored 0-60. Entry level. Okay
N1/N2/N3 sectional minimum 19 / 60 per section Each of the three sections (Language Knowledge, Reading, Listening) must individually score at least 19 out of 60, regardless of how high the total is. Poor
N4/N5 sectional minimum — Language Knowledge/Reading 38 / 120 The combined Language Knowledge + Reading section must score at least 38 out of 120. Poor
N4/N5 sectional minimum — Listening 19 / 60 The Listening section must score at least 19 out of 60, same threshold as N1-N3. Poor

Source: Official JLPT site (jlpt.jp), "Scoring Sections, Pass or Fail" page and the N4/N5 pass marks page — Japan Foundation & Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. A candidate must meet BOTH the overall pass mark AND every individual sectional minimum to pass; meeting the total score alone is not sufficient if any section falls short.

Worked Examples

N2 — Clean Pass

Language Knowledge
35 / 60
Reading
33 / 60
Listening
25 / 60
93 / 180 — PASS

Total = 35 + 33 + 25 = 93, which clears N2's 90-point pass mark. Every section (35, 33, 25) also clears the 19/60 sectional minimum, so this is a clean pass with no conditions.

N3 — Fail by Total (Sections All Fine)

Language Knowledge
25 / 60
Reading
25 / 60
Listening
20 / 60
70 / 180 — FAIL

Total = 25 + 25 + 20 = 70, below N3's 95-point pass mark. Every individual section (25, 25, 20) actually clears the 19/60 sectional minimum — this candidate fails purely because the total score is too low, not because of any single weak section.

N1 — Fail by Sectional Minimum Despite a Good Total

Language Knowledge
50 / 60
Reading
45 / 60
Listening
10 / 60
105 / 180 — FAIL (Listening below minimum)

Total = 50 + 45 + 10 = 105, which comfortably clears N1's 100-point pass mark. But Listening scored only 10, below the required 19/60 sectional minimum — so despite a strong overall total, this candidate still fails the exam. This is the scenario people most often get wrong.

N5 — Clean Pass (2-Section Structure)

Language Knowledge + Reading
70 / 120
Listening
25 / 60
95 / 180 — PASS

Total = 70 + 25 = 95, above N5's 80-point pass mark. The combined Language Knowledge + Reading score (70) clears its 38/120 minimum, and Listening (25) clears its 19/60 minimum — a clean pass under the 2-section N4/N5 structure.

N4 — Fail by Sectional Minimum Despite a Good Total

Language Knowledge + Reading
90 / 120
Listening
15 / 60
105 / 180 — FAIL (Listening below minimum)

Total = 90 + 15 = 105, well above N4's 90-point pass mark. But Listening scored only 15, below the 19/60 sectional minimum for that section — so even with a total 15 points over the pass mark, this candidate fails. Shows the same dual-condition trap can happen under the N4/N5 structure too.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1

    Choose your JLPT level

    N1 through N5. N1-N3 use a 3-section score structure; N4-N5 use a 2-section structure.

  2. 2

    Enter your section scores

    N1-N3: Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening (each 0-60). N4-N5: Language Knowledge+Reading (0-120) and Listening (0-60).

  3. 3

    Read your total and pass/fail result

    The calculator adds your sections into a total out of 180 and checks it against your level's official pass mark.

  4. 4

    Check the sectional breakdown

    Even with a total above the pass mark, any single section below its own minimum still means an overall FAIL — the calculator flags this separately so you know exactly why.

What Each Value Means

Total Score (points (0-180))
The sum of all section scores, out of a maximum of 180 points at every JLPT level (N1-N5).
Overall Pass Mark (points)
The minimum total score required to pass a given level — 100 for N1, 90 for N2, 95 for N3, 90 for N4, and 80 for N5. Meeting this alone does not guarantee a pass.
Sectional Minimum (points)
The minimum score required in each individual section, independent of the total. 19/60 for Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening at N1-N3; 38/120 for the combined Language Knowledge+Reading section and 19/60 for Listening at N4-N5. Falling below any sectional minimum results in an overall fail regardless of total score.

Related Calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did I fail the JLPT if my total score was above the pass mark?
Because the JLPT has two separate pass conditions, and you must clear both. First, your total score must meet or exceed the level's overall pass mark. Second, every individual section — Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening for N1-N3, or Language Knowledge+Reading and Listening for N4-N5 — must independently meet its own sectional minimum, which is 19 points (out of 60) for most sections and 38 points (out of 120) for the combined N4/N5 Language Knowledge+Reading section. A high total in one section cannot compensate for another section falling below its minimum. This is the single most common source of confusion about JLPT results, and it's why this calculator checks and reports both conditions separately.
What are the official JLPT pass marks for each level?
N1 requires 100 out of 180. N2 requires 90 out of 180. N3 requires 95 out of 180 — notably higher than N2's mark, despite N3 being the easier level. N4 requires 90 out of 180. N5 requires 80 out of 180. These figures come directly from the JLPT's official scoring page (jlpt.jp) and have been stable across recent test administrations, but always confirm against the current official page before relying on them for an important decision.
What's the difference between the N1-N3 and N4-N5 score structure?
N1, N2, and N3 report three separate section scores — Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar), Reading, and Listening — each scored 0 to 60, for a combined total of 0 to 180. N4 and N5 combine Language Knowledge and Reading into a single section scored 0 to 120, alongside a separate Listening section scored 0 to 60, also totaling 0 to 180. The combined structure at N4/N5 exists because the lower levels test less content overall, so JLPT groups vocabulary/grammar and reading comprehension into one reported score rather than three.
What is the sectional minimum and why does it exist?
The sectional minimum is the lowest score you're allowed to get in any single section and still pass, independent of your total. For N1-N3, it's 19 out of 60 in each of the three sections. For N4-N5, it's 38 out of 120 in the combined Language Knowledge+Reading section and 19 out of 60 in Listening. JLPT uses this rule so that a well-rounded test-taker passes over someone who is very strong in one skill (say, reading) but very weak in another (say, listening) — the test is meant to certify balanced proficiency, not a high average built on one strong section carrying a weak one.
Does this calculator replace my official JLPT score report?
No. Your official score report or certificate from the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) is the only authoritative record of your actual scores and pass/fail result. This calculator is for checking practice-test or self-reported scores against the official pass marks and sectional minimums before your real results arrive, or for understanding how the scoring logic works. Always rely on your official score report for anything that requires proof of passing, such as university applications, visa requirements, or employer verification.