JLPT Reading Comprehension for the JLPT Exam

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Reading every text from start to finish without using the questions as a guide
• !Not recognising paragraph structure in Japanese texts (topic sentence is often mid-paragraph)
• !Misidentifying the author's stance — Japanese texts often use indirect expression

Study tips

• 1For all levels: read the question, locate the relevant text section, read carefully, answer.
• 2For N2–N1: identify the author's main claim (主張/shuchō) in the opening and closing paragraphs.
• 3Build daily reading habit: NHK Web Easy (N3–N4), NHK regular news (N2), literary/academic Japanese (N1).

Sample JLPT JLPT Reading Comprehension questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real JLPT questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   In JLPT N1 Reading, a question asks "What is the author's main argument?" The correct answer:

   • AIs always in the first paragraph
   • BCan be identified by looking for the author's evaluative language and concluding statementsCorrect
   • CIs stated in the headline only
   • DIs found in the middle paragraph only
   Why this answer?

   In Japanese academic and journalistic writing, the main argument may be stated early, elaborated in the body, and restated or concluded in the final paragraph. Evaluative language (〜べきだ, 〜ではないか, 〜と考える) signals the author's position. Looking for these signals is more reliable than assuming position is always in a fixed location.