When Are the December 2026 JLPT Results Released?
The test is on 6 December 2026, and if you sit it in Japan the result goes online about seven weeks later. The dates below come from the official guides for this session. Overseas dates work a little differently, so I have split them out.
Short answer
Took the test in Japan: online on MyJLPT in late January 2027, paper result and certificate posted in late February 2027. Took it anywhere else: online on jlpt.jp on a date announced on its results page, paper certificate through your local test institution around March.
When Do the Results Come Out?
| Where you took the test | Online | Paper result and certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | Late January 2027, on MyJLPT | Posted late February 2027 |
| Outside Japan | On jlpt.jp; the date is posted on the results page | Through your local host institution, early to mid-March |
The Japan dates come from the official guide for this session published by JEES, the body that runs the test in Japan. Overseas, jlpt.jp gives the paper timing as early March in its FAQ and mid-March on its results page, so I would plan for the middle of the month. For comparison, the online results for the July 2026 test went up on 27 August 2026.
If nothing has arrived by the end of March, jlpt.jp tells overseas candidates to contact the institution in the city where they sat the test. The JLPT itself does not answer questions about results by phone or email.
How Do I Check My Result Online?
Go to the Test Results Announcement page on jlpt.jp and choose the place you took the test. Japan links to MyJLPT; China, Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan and Korea have their own links; everyone else uses the page for other countries.
You log in with the details from your application, so find your test voucher and the password you set when you registered before results day. The site is busy on results morning, and a password reset takes longer then.
The online result is only viewable for a limited period, so take a screenshot. For the July 2026 test the page stayed open for about two months.
What Will My Score Report Show?
Two things decide pass or fail, and three more are printed for reference only.
Sectional scores and total score (these decide the result)
You need the total pass mark and every sectional minimum. The pass marks are N5 80, N4 90, N3 95, N2 90, N1 100 out of 180. N5 and N4 have two scored sections and N3 to N1 have three. Details for your level are on the JLPT scoring page.
Percentage of correct responses (A, B or C)
For areas inside one section, such as vocabulary and grammar, you get a letter: A means 67% or more correct, B means 34% to 66%, C means under 34%. This is the most useful line on the report if you failed, because it tells you where the points went.
Percentile rank
The share of examinees over the last six tests who scored below you. Only shown to people who passed outside Japan (and not to those exempt from Listening).
CEFR level
New since the December 2025 test. Covered in the next section.
What Is the CEFR Level on My Result?
Since December 2025, people who pass see a CEFR level next to their score, based on the total. If an employer or university outside Japan asks for a CEFR level, you can now point to the one on your report instead of explaining what N3 means. It covers reading and listening only; the JLPT does not test speaking or writing, and the report says so.
| Level | Total score โ CEFR level shown |
|---|---|
| N5 | 80+: A1 |
| N4 | 90+: A2 |
| N3 | 95โ103: A2 ยท 104+: B1 |
| N2 | 90โ111: B1 ยท 112+: B2 |
| N1 | 100โ141: B2 ยท 142+: C1 |
Source: Understanding JLPT Certificates (jlpt.jp, 2025). Not shown for failed results or tests taken in July 2025 or earlier.
What if I missed a section?
Then the whole test is not scored and the result is a fail. You still get a report, but every score, including the sections you did sit, is printed as asterisks, like ๏ผ๏ผ/60. This catches people who leave after the first booklet because they think it went badly. Even if one booklet went badly, sit the rest; leaving turns a possible pass into a certain fail.
Can I Tell If I Passed Before Results Day?
Not precisely. The JLPT uses scaled scores, so twenty correct answers do not equal a fixed number of points, and the official answers are not published. Answer keys that appear online after the test are unofficial, and even a perfect key would not give you your scaled score.
What you can do is think section by section. A strong total does not save you if one section falls under its minimum, so that is the risk to look at first. If one booklet felt very different from the others, that is the one to worry about, and the one to start on for July.
When the result arrives, put your numbers into the score checker on the scoring page: it shows which sections cleared their minimum and whether the total did.
Three Quick Answers
When are the December 2026 JLPT results released?
If you sat the test in Japan, results appear on MyJLPT in late January 2027 and the paper result and certificate are posted in late February 2027. Outside Japan, results go online on jlpt.jp, which announces the exact date on its results page, and the paper certificate reaches your local test institution around March.
Can I work out my score before the results come out?
Not exactly. JLPT scores are scaled, so the number of questions you got right does not convert directly into points. What you can do is check how close you were to each sectional minimum, which is usually what decides a fail.
What does the percentile rank on my result mean?
It shows the percentage of examinees, over the six most recent tests including yours, who scored lower than you. It is only printed for people who passed the test outside Japan. A percentile of 80 means you beat 80% of candidates at that level.
Sources: JEES, 2026 second session guide ยท jlpt.jp results announcement ยท jlpt.jp FAQ ยท Understanding JLPT Certificates. Checked 30 September 2026.
Pass Marks and Score Checker โ
Every level's minimums
JLPT Exam Day โ
What happens on 6 December
How to Register โ
For the July 2027 test
Use the waiting weeks
Nihongo Pass scores every mock exam by section, so you know which part to work on for July before the official result tells you.