Japanese · Exam preparation
Jlpt n5 preparation online, starting from kana in the first week
N5 is the entry rung of the JLPT and the one that decides whether you build good habits or bad ones. We start with kana and drop romaji immediately.
- Japan Foundation
- CEFR A1
Who this is for
Is this the right course for you?
Beginners who want a structured first target, students needing a documented level, and self- taught learners who want to check where they actually are.
What you cover
Inside the JLPT N5 course
- Hiragana and katakana to reading fluency, in the first month
- The roughly 100 kanji N5 expects, taught by component
- Core grammar — particles, verb forms, adjectives, basic sentence patterns
- Listening at N5 speed with the distractors explained
- Reading short passages against the clock
- Two full timed mock papers with written feedback
JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test, and its real value is as a structure for the first year rather than as a qualification anyone will ask you for.
Kana first, romaji never
The single most consequential decision a beginner makes is whether to learn kana immediately. Learners who lean on romaji build a reading habit they later have to unlearn, and it costs them months at N4 and N3. We teach kana in the first lessons.
Kanji by component, from the start
Even at 100 characters, learning kanji as pictures does not scale. Radicals and phonetic components are introduced from the beginning so that N4 and N3 are recombination rather than memorisation.
JLPT N5 questions, answered properly
How long does it take to pass JLPT N5?
The Japan Foundation suggests roughly 250 to 450 hours for learners without a kanji background, depending on study method. At two lessons a week with homework, most beginners are ready in six to nine months. Learners who already read Chinese characters typically move considerably faster through the kanji component.
Do I have to learn kana before starting?
No — we teach it, and it is the first thing we teach. Hiragana and katakana are 92 characters with almost no exceptions and most adults read both within two to three weeks of focused work. Anyone who tells you to postpone kana in favour of romaji is setting you up for a much harder second year.
Is N5 worth taking at all?
As a certificate, rarely — no employer asks for N5. As a deadline, often. It gives a beginner a structured target, an external checkpoint, and evidence of progress at the point where motivation usually dips. If you are certain you will continue to N4, some learners skip N5 and save the fee.
Related courses
Other Japanese courses
JLPT N4
Learners who hold N5 or equivalent, self-taught students filling gaps, and anyone preparing for study or work in Japan who needs a documented step up.
JLPT N3
Learners who hold N4 and are aiming at N2, and self-taught students who have hit the wall that N3 is famous for.
JLPT N2
Candidates applying for work in Japan, university applicants, and learners who hold N3 and need the certificate that employers actually recognise.
JLPT N1
Candidates for academic study, translation and interpreting work, and professionals in roles where Japanese is the core of the job rather than a requirement of it.
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