Most JLPT N5 learners stall in one of two places: they never get fluent at reading kana, or they collect word lists and forget them a week later. Flashcards with spaced repetition fix both, as long as the deck covers the right material and the schedule is realistic.
This post gives you a free deck built for N5, explains what's actually on the test, and lays out a week-by-week plan for the December 6, 2026 sitting. If you want the broader comparison of language apps, read the best flashcard app for language learning. This one is just about N5.
What JLPT N5 actually tests
The JLPT has five levels, N1 (hardest) to N5 (easiest). The official site describes N4 and N5 as measuring basic Japanese mainly learned in class. At N5, that means reading typical expressions and sentences written in hiragana, katakana, and basic kanji, and following short, slowly spoken conversations about daily life and classroom topics.
The test has three timed parts (jlpt.jp):
| Section | Time |
|---|---|
| Language Knowledge (Vocabulary) | 20 min |
| Language Knowledge (Grammar)・Reading | 40 min |
| Listening | 30 min |
Scoring uses two sections, not three. Vocabulary, grammar, and reading are scored together out of 120, and listening out of 60. To pass you need 80 of 180 overall, plus at least 38 on the combined section and 19 on listening (jlpt.jp). A strong reading score can't rescue a listening score below 19.
One more thing to know before you download any N5 word list: there is no official one. The JLPT stopped publishing vocabulary and kanji lists with its 2010 revision. Every "complete N5 list" online is unofficial, assembled from textbooks and past test-takers' reports.
The 2026 dates are Sunday, July 5 (already past) and Sunday, December 6 (jlpt.jp). Outside Japan, some cities only run one of the two, and registration closes months ahead, so confirm with your local host institution.
What's in the free deck
The Japanese N5/N4 Core deck has 324 cards, and every card is tagged so you can filter to one section at a time:
| Section | Cards | Tag |
|---|---|---|
| Hiragana | 46 | hiragana |
| Katakana | 46 | katakana |
| N5 vocabulary | 130 | n5-vocab |
| N4 vocabulary | 92 | n4-vocab |
| N4 grammar patterns | 10 | n4-grammar |
Kana cards put the character on the front and the romaji on the back. あ → a, ア → a.
Vocabulary cards show the word on the front, with the kana reading in brackets when it's written in kanji, for example 私 (わたし), and the romaji, English meaning, and an example on the back: watashi — I / me, then 私は学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) — I am a student.
The 130 N5 vocabulary cards cover pronouns and demonstratives (これ / それ / あれ), question words, numbers from 一 to 万, days, months and times, core verbs in ます form (食べます, 行きます, わかります), common い- and な-adjectives, and everyday nouns: school, station, family, weather, seasons, directions.
The N4 section is a head start on the next level, with pairs that trip people up (変わる vs 変える) and ten grammar patterns such as 〜てください, 〜たい, 〜てもいい, and 〜から vs 〜ので.
To be straight about scope: 130 N5 words is a core, not the full N5 range. Use the deck as the foundation and add the words from your textbook on top. The deck downloads as .apkg or .csv, so it works in MintDeck or Anki.
A week-by-week FSRS plan for December 6
From today (October 7) to December 6 is roughly eight and a half weeks. That's enough to get through this deck comfortably if you study every day. MintDeck schedules every review with FSRS, so your only real decision is how many new cards to take each day. Set that under Settings → Daily Goal → New cards per day (5 to 50, in steps of 5).
Week 1: Hiragana (46 cards). 10 new cards a day. Write each character on paper as you review it. By day 5 you've seen them all, and the rest of the week is reviews.
Week 2: Katakana (46 cards). Same pace. Katakana feels harder because you'll see it less often, so expect more "Again" ratings. That's FSRS doing its job: the cards you miss come back sooner.
Weeks 3–5: N5 vocabulary (130 cards). 10 new a day gets you through in about two weeks, with spare days for catch-up. Filter by the n5-vocab tag so new kana reviews don't crowd your session. Use the per-session Reverse front and back toggle a few times a week so you practise English → Japanese, not only recognition.
Weeks 6–7: Your textbook's words. Add the N5 vocabulary from your course (Genki, Minna no Nihongo, or similar) that the deck doesn't cover. Type the cards in or import a CSV. Both are free.
Week 8 to test day: reviews only. Drop new cards to zero and clear your daily reviews. Spend the time you save on listening practice and official sample questions. Skip the N4 section until after the exam.
Rate honestly the whole way. Tapping "Good" on a card you barely remembered pushes it further out than it should go, and you'll lose it before the test.
A note on audio
MintDeck's free On-Device voices speak Japanese, along with 30 other languages. They run offline and cost no credits, so you can hear each word in Audio Study and drill readings hands-free. Synthesized speech is good for pronunciation and recall, but it isn't exam audio: get your listening practice from native recordings, such as the official JLPT sample questions. Listening carries its own pass mark at N5, so don't leave it until the last week.
How this compares with other options
Anki shared decks. AnkiWeb has a large section of shared Japanese decks, free to download, with ratings and comments to help you choose. Quality varies, and many popular decks are large core-vocabulary sets rather than N5-specific ones. MintDeck imports .apkg files, so if you already use one, you can bring it over with your review history. AnkiMobile on iPhone costs $24.99.
Quizlet sets. Plenty of user-made N5 sets exist. Quizlet doesn't schedule reviews with FSRS, and its Learn mode is paywalled.
Duolingo. A structured course, not a flashcard tool. It won't let you add your own cards or import a deck. It's fine alongside this plan, but it won't replace targeted vocabulary review.
What it costs
Importing the deck, reviewing with FSRS, filtering by tag, and making your own cards are all free and unlimited in MintDeck. Credits only pay for optional AI generation, and new accounts start with 10. The full breakdown is in what's free and what costs credits.
Download MintDeck free and import the N5 deck →
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Frequently asked questions
- When is the next JLPT N5 test?
- The second JLPT of 2026 is on Sunday, December 6, 2026. Outside Japan some cities only hold the test in July or only in December, and registration windows differ by city, so check with your local host institution.
- Is there an official JLPT N5 vocabulary list?
- No. The JLPT stopped publishing vocabulary and kanji lists with its 2010 revision. Every N5 word list you find, including ours, is unofficial and built from textbooks and past-test experience.
- What is in the free MintDeck JLPT N5 deck?
- 324 cards: all 46 basic hiragana, all 46 basic katakana, 130 cards tagged as N5 vocabulary, and 102 N4 cards (92 vocabulary words plus 10 grammar patterns). Vocabulary cards show the word, its kana reading, romaji, the English meaning, and an example.
- Can I use the deck in Anki instead of MintDeck?
- Yes. The deck downloads as an .apkg file, which opens in Anki, or as a .csv. In MintDeck you can import either format for free and review with FSRS spaced repetition.
Written by
Sergiu Puscas · Creator of MintDeck
Sergiu builds MintDeck and writes every guide and comparison on this blog — drawing on building an FSRS-based flashcard app and hands-on testing of the study apps covered here.
More about Sergiu
