1 minute read

Brief update: I passed JLPT N1!

Previously I posted about taking the JLPT N1 exam and my score estimates around that period. The scores are usually posted around the fourth week of January. This year, there was a delay in scoring (rumored to be because of cheating in other test sites…), but I was able to pass my exam!

I used answer keys online to estimate my score following the exam. It appears I probably overestimated the number of correct answers (not surprisingly…); my total scaled score was 128/180, with a 32/60, 51/60, and 45/60 on the Language Knowledge, Reading, and Listening sections, respectively. I knew I likely bombed the vocab section on the Language Knowledge section, so 32/60 was about what I expected. I performed better than I expected on the Reading section, likely because I practiced by reading Japanese light novels. Listening was also quite good, though a tad lower than what I estimated initially. Overall I am pleased with my score and don’t feel the need to retake it. In the future I can consider aiming for a 60/60 in each section, but for now there are already so many more doors open with an official JLPT N1 certification.

Just make sure to download a copy of the online result PDF from the score release website for safekeeping; the report is only accessible for three months!

Update 2025-04-07: My official-looking certificate of passing came through the mail, as was promised on the JLPT USA website.

JLPT N1 Certificate
I can finally prove on paper that I can speak Japanese to people. 11 years since I started…