N4 mock test: 30-question practice exam

You have reached the end of the N4 course. This practice test has 30 questions in four parts, in the style of the JLPT: kanji, vocabulary, grammar (including two sentence-order questions) and reading. Take it in the practice quiz below, or print the worksheet and do it on paper with a timer. Every answer has an explanation that names the lesson to go back to.

This is a practice test written by TalkToJapan. It is not official JLPT material, it is not a past paper, and your score here does not predict your JLPT result. The real test has its own format, timing and a listening section.

How the real N4 is organised

The JLPT N4 has three sections: language knowledge (vocabulary); language knowledge (grammar) and reading; and listening. This practice test covers the first two only — there is no listening part, so practise listening separately. In Japan the JLPT is usually held twice a year, in July and December; abroad, dates depend on the country. The format, timing and pass marks are set by the test organisers and can change, so always check the official website, jlpt.jp, before you register.

How to take this test

• Give yourself 60 minutes for all 30 questions, without a dictionary or translation app.
• Answer every question — if you don’t know, choose the most likely answer and move on.
• Online: choose an answer and press “Check answer”. On paper: print the worksheet, mark your answers on the answer sheet, then check them with the answer key on the last page.
• Write down the numbers of the questions you got wrong, then use the review table below.

Part 1: kanji (questions 1–8)

Questions 1–5 ask how a word written in kanji is read; questions 6–8 ask which kanji is used for a word written in hiragana. You need the kanji of N4 lessons 1–29 and their special readings, such as 図書館 (としょかん) and 特急 (とっきゅう).

Part 2: vocabulary (questions 9–13)

Choose the word that fits the sentence. The words come from the situations of the course: safety, directions, borrowing and lending, moving house and the telephone.

Part 3: grammar (questions 14–21)

Questions 14–19 ask for the form that fits: 〜ても, 〜と, 〜ておく, 〜そうです, the passive and honorific verbs. Questions 20–21 are sentence-order questions, as in the real test: put the four words in order and choose the one that goes in the ★ position.

Part 4: reading (questions 22–30)

Three texts — an email from a manager, apartment rules and a short essay — with three questions each. Read the questions first, then find the part of the text that answers them (lesson 19).

Scoring yourself

Score	What it means (our guideline)	Next step
24–30	You know the N4 course material well.	Practise listening and take a timed full-length practice test.
18–23	A good base with some gaps.	Review the lessons for the questions you missed, then take this test again in a week.
0–17	Several topics need more work.	Go back through the lessons in the table below one by one, do their quizzes and worksheets, then try again.

These bands are our own guide for this practice test, not the JLPT pass marks.

What to review

If you missed …	Review
1–8 (kanji)	N4 lessons 1, 5, 11, 12, 17, 23 (readings) and 3, 25, 28 (writing); review lessons 10 and 20
9–13 (vocabulary)	N4 lessons 16 (safety), 17 (directions), 22 (borrow / lend), 23 (moving house), 27 (phone)
14–16 (ても, と, ておく)	N4 lessons 16, 17, 18 and review lesson 20
17 (そうです)	N4 lesson 21
18 (passive)	N4 lesson 24
19 and 21 (keigo)	N4 lessons 26 and 27
20 (sentence order, causative)	N4 lessons 12 and 25
22–24 (email)	N4 lessons 9, 26 (honorific verbs in messages)
25–27 (rules)	N4 lessons 4 and 28 (rules, 〜こと)
28–30 (essay)	N4 lessons 13, 19 and 29

After N4

When you score well here, keep going: practise listening every day (announcements, conversations at work, short videos for learners), read a little Japanese every day — notices, messages, simple news — and keep using keigo set phrases at work. The N4 course is the base for N3, where the texts get longer and the grammar more subtle. これからもがんばってください!