The Nōken (JLPT) is the official Japanese language level test. This is a test used to assess and certify Japanese proficiency for non-native speakers.
This exam allows you to accredit your level of knowledge of Japanese at 5 different levels. Level 1 corresponds to the highest level and level 5 to the simplest.
At level 1 and 2 (N1 and N2), the exam has two parts: knowledge of the language (vocabulary and grammar) and listening. For levels 3 to 5 (N3, N4 and N5), the test consists of three blocks: vocabulary, grammar and listening.
The different levels show a minimum proficiency in the use of Japanese:
• N5: ability to understand basic Japanese, to a certain extent.
• N4: ability to understand basic Japanese.
• N3: ability to understand Japanese used in everyday settings, to a certain extent.
• N2: ability to understand Japanese used in everyday life and in different situations, up to a certain level.
• N1: ability to understand Japanese used in a wide range of situations.