A 7-week plan for the December JLPT

The second JLPT of 2026 is on Sunday, December 6, 2026, according to the official JLPT site. In Japan, N3, N4, and N5 start in the afternoon, at 3:10 p.m. Overseas schedules vary by city, so check your local test site and the details on your test voucher.

This plan assumes you’ve already registered and have about seven weeks left. It won’t teach you a whole level in that time. What it can do is help you spend the weeks on what the test actually checks, so exam day holds fewer surprises. If you’re starting later, skip ahead to the week that matches the time you have left.

What the test looks like at N5–N3

At N5, N4, and N3 the test has three parts: vocabulary, grammar and reading, and listening. The official breakdown lists the timing for each level. Every question is multiple choice, so you won’t need to write kanji by hand, though you do need to recognize words quickly and pick the right reading.

Before you plan anything, try the official sample questions for your level. They show one example of each question type. Note which types feel slow or unfamiliar, because those are where the next seven weeks will pay off most.

Weeks 1–2: find the gaps

Spend the first two weeks on an honest check rather than new material.

Vocabulary. Keep your daily reviews going in Anki (free on desktop and Android) or renshuu (free with paid options). Add new words from your level only when your reviews are under control.
Grammar. Make a short list of patterns you keep mixing up. Read about each one in Tae Kim’s Guide or IMABI, then write one sentence of your own with it.
Kanji readings. The test asks you to choose readings, so practice saying words aloud, not only recognizing their shape. Look up anything you’re unsure of in Jisho.
Listening. Start now and keep it in your daily routine. At N5 and N4, the free video lessons in Erin’s Challenge! and the free MARUGOTO Plus site give you clear, everyday conversations.

Weeks 3–4: build speed in reading

Reading questions reward steady pace more than perfect understanding.

At N5 and N4, read a short graded text most days. The Tadoku free graded readers and Watanoc both work well here.
At N3, add a short article from NHK Easy Japanese News or MATCHA Easy Japanese, and sum it up in one sentence when you finish.
When you work on official reading practice questions, read the question first, then look for the answer in the text.
Time yourself on one passage a day. When a word stops you, guess from context and keep going, then check it afterward.

Keep vocabulary reviews and some listening going every day, in sessions short enough to repeat tomorrow.

Weeks 5–6: practice like the real test

Now shift from studying to practicing.

Sit one timed practice session a week using official material. The sample questions are short, so for a longer session use the questions and audio from the official practice workbooks.
Afterward, sort your mistakes into three groups: didn’t know the word, knew it but misread the grammar, or ran out of time. Spend the next few days on the biggest group.
For listening, play a conversation once without pausing, answer, then listen again with the transcript if there is one. Note the phrase that tripped you up.

Week 7: rest and review

Don’t start new material in the last week.

Review the mistake list you’ve built and the patterns you marked in week 1.
Do short listening sessions so your ear stays used to the pace.
Check your test site, travel time, and what to bring. Get a good night’s sleep before the test.

On test day, in the vocabulary and grammar-and-reading sections, move on from any question that’s taking too long and come back to it before time runs out. In listening, the recording sets the pace, so choose your answer and get ready for the next item. Every question is multiple choice, so don’t leave any blank.

After the test

The JLPT says online results for the December test come out in late January. Whatever the score, the habits from these weeks carry into the next level. You can browse my curated resources by level, or start with my N5 roadmap.

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I’m Jason Kobayashi, and I run and update this site. How PeraNabi works.