The JLPT Is Held Twice a Year — Only Once, in December, in Ukraine

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) measures and certifies the Japanese ability of people whose native language is not Japanese. It was started in 1984 by the Japan Foundation and the Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES). Within Japan, JEES administers the test; overseas, the Japan Foundation runs it with the cooperation of local institutions.

The following was confirmed on September 24, 2026 from the JLPT official site (jlpt.jp) and the site of JEES, which administers the test within Japan (info.jees-jlpt.jp). Places to learn Japanese and free learning materials are covered in our article on local Japanese classes and materials available in Ukrainian.

Five Levels, from N1 to N5

There are five levels: N5 is the easiest and N1 the most difficult. The official site explains that N4 and N5 measure understanding of basic Japanese mainly learned in the classroom, N1 and N2 measure understanding of Japanese used in a wide range of real-life situations, and N3 is a “bridging” level between the two.

The test measures knowledge of characters, vocabulary and grammar, along with reading and listening ability. It does not measure speaking or writing ability.

From December 2025, a CEFR Reference Display

From the December 2025 test, the certificate of successful examinees has begun showing, for reference, a level from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). CEFR is a six-level framework, from A1 to C2, published by the Council of Europe in 2001. According to the JLPT official site, the display is shown only to those who pass, and is determined by total score as follows.

The official site cautions that this display concerns only the “language knowledge,” “reading” and “listening” abilities that the JLPT measures, and does not include CEFR’s “speaking,” “writing” or “interaction” abilities.

Taking the Test in Japan (the December 2026 Test as an Example)

The test in Japan is held twice a year, on a Sunday in July and a Sunday in December. In 2026, these are July 5 and December 6. The main points of the guidance for the December test (JEES, dated July 14, 2026) are as follows.

In principle, the domestic test in 2026 is open to people whose native language is not Japanese and who are, under Japan’s residence management system, “medium- to long-term residents” or “special permanent residents.” A medium- to long-term resident is someone issued a residence card. This excludes people with a period of stay of three months or less, and those with the status of residence “Temporary Visitor,” “Diplomat,” or “Official” (Article 19-3 of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act). Only one level may be registered for at a time.

Registration can close early. For the December 2026 test, registration for N1 and N2 closed at noon on August 31, partway through the registration period, with no reopening. For N3, reopened registration was held from September 2, limited to venues in Tokyo and Osaka. JEES explains that a surge in applicants has made securing venues difficult. The schedule and fee for the next test (2027) will be announced on the association’s site.

The number of examinees keeps rising. Worldwide applicants in 2025 numbered about 1.9 million, a record high. Preliminary figures put applicants for the July 2026 test at 943,671 (of which 376,028 were in Japan).

The Test in Ukraine

Overseas, the test is held in July only, December only, or both, depending on the city. According to the JLPT official site’s “List of Overseas Test Cities and Administering Institutions” (as scheduled as of September 11, 2026), Ukraine has the following two cities, both of which hold the test in December only.

In the statistics by test location that the JLPT publishes, the numbers of applicants and examinees for the December test in Kyiv are as follows.

The Ukraine-Japan Center, which runs the test in Kyiv, announced for the December 7, 2025 test that the capacity was up to 250 people, the fee was the same for every level at 3,300 hryvnias, and, for safety, the test would be held in a shelter. This was carried out amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. The capacity and fee for the December 2026 test have not yet been announced (as of September 24, 2026).

What the Results Are Used For

The JLPT official site gives the following examples of how it is used in Japan. These are all as explained on the official site; the actual requirements need to be confirmed with the authority responsible for each system (the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and others).

• The points-based system for highly skilled professionals: passing N1 earns 15 points, N2 earns 10 points; a total of 70 points or more brings immigration benefits
• A condition for entering a Japanese-language institution under the “Student” status of residence: N5 or above
• The Japanese ability required for the “Specified Skilled Worker (i)” status of residence: N4 or above
• When demonstrating the language ability used on the job under the “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services” status of residence: N2 or above
• One of the conditions for holders of a foreign medical license and similar qualifications to sit Japan’s national examination for physicians and other professions: N1 (the same applies to other national examinations, such as for dentists, nurses and pharmacists)
• The Examination for Certifying Proficiency Equivalent to Lower Secondary School Graduation: examinees of foreign nationality and similar are exempted from the Japanese-language subject if they have passed N1 or N2

The process leading up to sitting the national examinations for physicians and nurses is covered in our article on how Ukrainian diplomas, degrees and medical licenses are treated in Japan. The status-of-residence procedures themselves for people who evacuated from Ukraine are introduced in our article on residence-status procedures for evacuees.