How many kanji do you need for the JLPT?
Last checked: 2026-11-06
There is no official number. The JLPT does not publish a kanji list for any level. Third-party guides put N5 at about 80 to 103 kanji, and N1 at about 2,000 or more. Treat every count as an estimate.
What third-party guides say
These are the pages we read. They are not from the test makers, and they do not agree.
| Level | italki | Nihongo Master | Sakura Flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| N5 | About 80 | 103 | About 100 |
| N4 | Not read | Not read | About 300 |
| N3 | Not read | Not read | About 650 |
| N2 | Not read | Not read | About 1,000 |
| N1 | Not read | Not read | About 2,000 to 2,136 |
Sakura Flow's figures are running totals, so N4 includes N5. Nihongo Master and Sakura Flow both say the JLPT has published no official list since 2010. "Not read" means we read only the N5 page from that site.
What the JLPT says
- No list. The FAQ says the JLPT dropped its Test Content Specifications with the 2010 revision. It says the goal is to use the language to communicate, not to memorize vocabulary, kanji and grammar items.
- What to use instead. The FAQ points you to the Summary of Linguistic Competence and the composition of test items.
- N5 in plain words. The level summary describes typical expressions written in kana and basic kanji.
- N4 in plain words. It describes passages on familiar daily topics in basic vocabulary and kanji.
The same is true for vocabulary and grammar. A list of "all N5 words" is someone's own estimate.
How kanji is tested
From the official list of question types:
| Question type | N1 | N2 | N3 | N4 | N5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanji reading | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Orthography (choosing the kanji for a word in hiragana) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
So you are tested on words, not on single characters in a list. See the full test format. A word list with kanji may serve you better than a character list, but that is our own opinion.
Why old lists still appear online
The old JLPT had four levels. The official guide to the new test matches them like this:
| New level | Old level |
|---|---|
| N1 | About Level 1, slightly more advanced |
| N2 | About Level 2 |
| N3 | New. Between Levels 2 and 3 |
| N4 | About Level 3 |
| N5 | About Level 4 |
Many third-party lists may start from those old levels. We could not confirm that on an official page, so we give no old kanji counts here.
How to judge your own level
This is our own suggestion.
- Try the official sample questions for your level. They are free.
- Note any kanji in the reading questions that stops you.
- Sit a timed official workbook, since a list alone will not show if you can read at test speed.
- Check what each level means before you commit to one.