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JLPT and exams

Can You Take the JLPT Online? What You Can and Can’t Do Remotely

By the Hanabuddies team · · 2 min read

No, you can’t take the JLPT online. At the time of writing, the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test is a paper test that you sit in person at an official test site, usually in July and December, and there is no at-home or remote version. What you can do online is everything around it: register in many countries, take practice tests, and prepare with an online tutor. Always check the official JLPT website for your country, as arrangements can change.

Why websites offering an “online JLPT” are not the real test

You may see sites selling an “online JLPT” or a certificate after a short web quiz. These are not the JLPT, and their certificates are not accepted where a JLPT result is required, such as job applications or visa points in Japan. The real test is run by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, with local host institutions overseas. If you’re unsure, see JLPT results and certificates.

What you can do online

  • Register. In Japan and in many countries, registration is online; elsewhere it may be by post or in person. Our guide to registering for the JLPT abroad covers the steps.
  • Take practice tests. Official sample questions and timed practice papers are the best way to learn the format. See JLPT practice tests.
  • Prepare with a tutor. Online lessons work well for JLPT preparation, because most of the work is reading, listening and explanation.
  • Check your results. Results can usually be viewed online before the paper certificate arrives.

If you need a computer-based test

Some other Japanese tests are computer-based, for example the JFT-Basic and the BJT, though they are still taken at a test centre rather than at home. They measure different things from the JLPT and are accepted for different purposes. Compare them in JLPT vs other Japanese tests, or see JFT-Basic preparation and the BJT.

If there is no test site near you

  • Check nearby cities or countries; many people travel to sit the test.
  • Book travel early, because the test is on a fixed date and places can fill up.
  • Consider which session suits you; some locations hold the test only once a year. See JLPT in July or December.

Getting ready for test day on paper

If you’ve studied mostly on apps and screens, practise with paper and a pencil: marking answer sheets, reading long passages on paper and keeping time without a phone. Our JLPT test day tips cover what to bring.

How Hanabuddies can help

Our native tutors prepare students for every JLPT level online, wherever you live. We work through practice papers with you, explain the grammar and reading questions you get wrong, and train your listening, so you walk into the test centre ready.