Pass JLPT N3

Proof required

Complete a 100-item N3 vocabulary and kanji practice set and submit a photo with a score of 75% or above, plus a written list of 15 N3 vocabulary items from the test that you found difficult, each with a contextual example sentence you wrote yourself.

What gets checked

• 75% or above on a 100-item N3 vocabulary/kanji practice set
• 15 difficult-item list includes correct contextual example sentences (not dictionary definitions)
• Example sentences use N3 grammar patterns, not only N5 structures

Common mistakes

• Treating N3 vocabulary as a memorisation task — at N3, vocabulary must be understood in context, not just recognised in isolation
• Studying only vocabulary without reading practice — N3 vocabulary is encoded in connected text, and reading exercises consolidate new items in context

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The example sentences for difficult items should use the words in a context that shows correct collocational use — not just inserting the word into a template sentence
• Grammar patterns in example sentences should be at least N4 level — N3 learners using only N5 grammar shows that productive grammar is behind receptive vocabulary

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Proof required

Submit a handwritten grammar summary (photo or scan, at least 1 page) covering: (1) two relative-clause sentences embedding different clause types, (2) らしい vs. そうだ (hearsay) distinguished with one example each, (3) one original causative-passive sentence with a context note explaining the social dynamic it expresses.

What gets checked

• Relative clause examples embed grammatically complete clauses as noun modifiers (not just adjectives)
• らしい and そうだ (hearsay) examples clearly differ in evidence source (inference from observation vs. reported speech)
• Causative-passive sentence uses a realistic social context — the form marks unwilling compliance and the example should reflect that

Common mistakes

• Confusing the two uses of そうだ (appearance-based inference そうだ vs. hearsay そうだ) — they use different forms and are tested separately in N3
• Treating the causative-passive as simply passive + causative — it has a specific pragmatic meaning (being compelled to do something unwillingly) that the form carries

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The relative-clause examples must be genuine embedded clauses — 食べたケーキ is a relative clause; 美味しいケーキ is just adjective modification. The learner should use a verbal clause
• らしい vs. そうだ (hearsay): らしい is usually based on indirect evidence the speaker has absorbed; 〜と言っていた or 〜そうだ is a direct report. Ask the learner to explain the difference
• Causative-passive: a sentence like '先生に宿題をさせられた' should come with a note that the student did not want to do the homework

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Proof required

Submit (1) your official JLPT N3 score report showing a passing result, AND (2) a video recording of a 20-minute unscripted conversation with a native or near-native Japanese speaker, with both sides audible. The conversation should go beyond basic topics.

What gets checked

• Official JLPT N3 score report showing a passing result (total score ≥ 95/180 with no section below threshold)
• Conversation recording is at least 20 minutes and covers more than self-introduction topics
• Learner expresses opinions or narrates a past experience with supporting detail, not just one-word answers

Common mistakes

• Treating N3 as the endpoint of structured Japanese study — N3 is the gateway to consuming authentic Japanese media and the real language acquisition begins here
• Preparing set phrases for the conversation recording — the proof requires genuine spontaneous language production

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The score report must be official JLPT documentation for N3 showing the passing total score and section scores
• At N3 level, the learner should be able to discuss a topic for more than 2–3 sentences without reverting to very basic structures — check for use of て-form connections, conditionals, and some N3 patterns in natural speech
• The conversation partner should be audible and clearly a real interlocutor — a monologue recorded to an imagined listener does not satisfy the bilateral communication requirement

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