JLPT December 2026: Exam Date, Admit Card, Timings & Results

The second JLPT of 2026 is on Sunday, 6 December 2026. Registration has closed at every host we checked in India, the USA, the UK and Japan. Most hosts we checked send test vouchers (in India, the admit card) in November; results go online by around the end of January 2027, and certificates reach test-takers outside Japan through their host institution by mid-March 2027.

What are the JLPT December 2026 dates, from now to the certificate?

The JLPT, 日本語能力試験 (にほんごのうりょくしけん, Nihongo Nōryoku Shiken), is held “Twice yearly, in July and December” (official FAQ). The second 2026 test is on Sunday, 6 December, seven and a half weeks from today.

The 6 November, results and certificate dates are from the Japan Foundation’s December 2026 Test Guide and apply outside Japan. Japan and the USA differ slightly (see below).

Sitting the test? Our 7-week N5 plan and 7-week N4 plan map out the time left, week by week.

How long is each section of the JLPT?

The JLPT is all multiple choice. N3, N4 and N5 have three test sections and N1 and N2 have two, with listening a separate section at every level. These are the official test times:

Timetables and question booklets use the Japanese names. At N3, N4 and N5 the sections are 言語知識（文字・語彙） (げんごちしき（もじ・ごい）, gengo chishiki (moji goi), language knowledge: script and vocabulary), 言語知識（文法）・読解 (げんごちしき（ぶんぽう）・どっかい, gengo chishiki (bunpō) dokkai, language knowledge: grammar, and reading) and 聴解 (ちょうかい, chōkai, listening). At N1 and N2 the first section is 言語知識（文字・語彙・文法）・読解 (げんごちしき（もじ・ごい・ぶんぽう）・どっかい, gengo chishiki (moji goi bunpō) dokkai), covering vocabulary, grammar and reading in one section.

• Listening can run slightly long or short. The official note: “The time allotted for the Listening section may differ slightly according to the length of the recorded materials.”
• Some times are recent. N4 and N5 vocabulary and grammar-reading times changed from December 2020, and N1 listening from December 2022; older books may differ.
• Your day is longer than the total. At Edinburgh, N5 check-in runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am and listening ends at 2:20 pm; AATJ says US test days typically end 3.5 to 4.5 hours after check-in.

What to bring and the rules in the room are in our JLPT exam day checklist.

When are the JLPT December 2026 results announced?

Outside Japan, the Test Guide says: “Test results will be available on the JLPT website at https://www.jlpt.jp/e/ by around the end of January 2027.” No exact day has been posted yet. Watch the official Test Results Announcement page: for the July 2026 test it gave a viewing window of 27 August to 31 October 2026.

How do you check your JLPT result online?

1. On that page, choose where you took the test. India, the USA, the UK and most other countries use “Other countries”, which opens jlpt-overseas.jp/onlineresults.
2. Log in with your registration number, 受験番号 (じゅけんばんごう, juken bangō), from your test voucher, and the 8-digit passcode you wrote on your application form. Without a valid passcode on the form, you can’t see your result online.
3. Save a copy: online results stay up for a limited period only.

The online result shows your section scores, your total out of 180 and whether you passed; since December 2025, passers also see a reference CEFR level. To pass you need the overall pass mark (80 at N5, 90 at N4, 95 at N3, 90 at N2, 100 at N1) and the minimum in every section (official scoring rules). Our N5 and N4 pass marks guide explains how people fail with a “passing” total.

When will you get your JLPT certificate?

Outside Japan, “All examinees will be issued a ‘Certificate of Result and Scores’ through their local host institution” by mid-March 2027, says the Test Guide; passers also get a Certificate of Japanese-Language Proficiency. Nothing by the end of March? Contact your host institution, not the Japan Foundation.

• Check your name and date of birth on arrival: errors are corrected only if reported within a year of the issue date.
• A certificate lost in the post can be reissued if you ask your host within a year.
• JLPT certificates never expire, though some employers and schools set their own limits.

What do you need to know about the December 2026 JLPT in India?

Seven Indian cities hold the December test. Your city’s host institution issues your admit card and, later, your certificate. For fees and how to apply, see our complete guide to the JLPT in India.

Which Indian cities hold the December 2026 JLPT?

Cities and hosts as written on the official list of overseas test cities (11 September 2026):

Santiniketan (Visva-Bharati) holds the test in July only. Chennai and Kolkata split the levels between two venues each, so check your own rather than following a friend sitting another level.

What time is the JLPT at Indian centres?

At the four centres that have published their plans, N1 and N2 sit in the morning and N3, N4 and N5 in the afternoon. Reporting times differ by centre:

As published on 14 October 2026; your admit card is final. Kolkata’s morning session ends at 12 noon and its afternoon one at 4 pm. Pune, Mumbai and Karur hadn’t published timings on the pages we checked.

When will the JLPT admit card come?

• New Delhi: MOSAI will dispatch admit cards in November 2026, with your centre details.
• Chennai: the hall ticket is emailed to your registered address.
• Kolkata: by post, or from the IJWCA office (Monday to Thursday, 2:30–6:00 pm) if you chose collection.
• Bengaluru: BNK says your venue and seat will be on the hall ticket closer to the exam date.
• Pune, Mumbai and Karur: watch your host’s site and your email.

Print it: Kolkata doesn’t accept a soft copy on your phone, and Bengaluru asks for a printout. Bring your original photo ID (Chennai wants the one you sent with your application). No admit card by late November? Contact your host.

How do results and certificates work in India?

Results go online on the official JLPT site through the “Other countries” link above. Certificates come from your host: for July 2026, MOSAI said it would post them to the address on the application form, and JALTAP Pune offered office collection or courier delivery. December arrangements haven’t been posted yet.

What about the JLPT outside India?

Each country has its own host institution, with its own voucher dates and check-in times.

USA

• Registration: AATJ, the only US host, says “Registration is closed.”
• Voucher: download it from your JLPT US account in early November.
• Test day: at most sites check-in begins around noon and the test starts around 1 pm; West Coast check-in is around 11 am, and Honolulu starts earlier.
• Results and certificate: results are “usually released in late January”, and passers should get their certificate “around the end of March or by the end of April” (AATJ FAQ).

UK

• Registration: SOAS is fully booked, including its waitlist; Edinburgh is fully booked; and Leicester’s deadline was 9 September.
• Test day: be in the exam room at SOAS by 11:00 am; Edinburgh’s check-in runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am; Leicester starts at 11:30 am, with no late arrivals.
• Results: Leicester says December results will be online from the end of January 2027.

Japan

• Registration: JEES announced on 3 September that December applications had closed. The test in Japan is “primarily intended for” mid-to-long-term residents and special permanent residents.
• Voucher: mailed by 20 November, and on MyJLPT from 17 November.
• Test day: N1 and N2 start at 9:10 am; N3, N4 and N5 at 3:10 pm.
• Results and certificate: JEES says results open on MyJLPT from late January 2027, with results and certificates mailed in late February.

Everywhere else

Find your city on the official list of overseas test cities, which links to your host and shows whether your city holds the test in July, December or both. Your host answers questions about vouchers, venues and certificates.

Missed the December 2026 JLPT? What next?

The next JLPT is expected in July 2027. The Japan Foundation’s London office says the test “takes place on the first Sunday of July and the first Sunday of December each year”, but no 2027 date has been announced yet.

• Watch for registration from March. The official overseas timeline puts July registration “Around March-April”, varying by city; Leicester expects to publish its July 2027 details in January.
• Check that your city holds a July test. Some cities hold only one test a year: Santiniketan and King’s College London hold July only, while AATJ says “No July test is offered in the U.S.”
• Use the time. Sit a full timed mock now to find your weakest section, then follow a longer plan: our JLPT N5 study plan or the N5 to N3 plan. Seven weeks before the test, switch to the 7-week N5 plan or 7-week N4 plan.

LenGaki (lengaki.com) is a Japanese learning website and Android app that takes you from your first hiragana to the JLPT, with a guided roadmap, kana, kanji, vocabulary, grammar, flashcards, quizzes, speaking practice, JLPT mock exams and an AI tutor called Lena. On the website, its N5 mock sets 1 and 2 are free, as are the official sample questions on jlpt.jp. See how to use JLPT mock tests to turn a mock score into a plan.

Frequently asked questions

When is the JLPT in December 2026?

The second JLPT of 2026 is on Sunday, 6 December 2026. Start times are set locally and printed on your test voucher; at the Indian centres that have published their plans, N1 and N2 sit in the morning and N3, N4 and N5 in the afternoon.

When will the JLPT December 2026 results be announced?

For test-takers outside Japan, the Japan Foundation says results will be available online by around the end of January 2027; no exact day has been announced yet. You log in with your registration number and the 8-digit passcode you wrote on your application form.

When will I get my JLPT admit card for December 2026?

Indian hosts call the test voucher an admit card or hall ticket: MOSAI in New Delhi will dispatch it in November 2026, Chennai emails it, and Kolkata posts it or hands it out at its office. In the USA, AATJ makes vouchers available to download in early November.

When will I receive my JLPT December 2026 certificate?

Outside Japan, every examinee receives a Certificate of Result and Scores through their local host institution by mid-March 2027, and those who pass also get a Certificate of Japanese-Language Proficiency. If nothing has arrived by the end of March, contact your host institution.

Can I still register for the December 2026 JLPT?

Not at any host we checked: as of 14 October 2026, registration had closed in India, the USA, the UK and Japan. The next JLPT is expected in July 2027 in cities that hold a July test, following the usual first-Sunday-of-July pattern, but no 2027 date has been announced.

How long is the JLPT exam?

The official section times add up to 90 minutes at N5, 115 at N4, 140 at N3, 155 at N2 and 165 at N1. The day itself is longer, because check-in, instructions and breaks are added, and the listening section can differ slightly in length with the recordings.