Experience levels
The gap between two levels, in points and in /xp
/xp add @s 1395 points XP sources
How many of each you need to close the gap
| Source | XP each | Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle o' Enchanting | 7 | 200 |
| Ore (diamond / emerald) | 5 | 279 |
| Lapis ore | 3 | 465 |
| Coal ore | 1 | 1,395 |
| Smelting (per item, average) | 0.7 | 1,993 |
| Cow / pig / sheep | 2 | 698 |
| Zombie / skeleton / creeper | 5 | 279 |
| Blaze | 10 | 140 |
| Wither skeleton | 5 | 279 |
| Ender Dragon (first kill) | 12000 | 1 |
| Ender Dragon (respawn) | 500 | 3 |
How XP levels work
The piecewise curve, and why level 30 is where grinding stops
Minecraft's XP curve is piecewise. Levels 0–15 cost 2n + 7, levels 16–30 cost 5n − 38, and level 31+ costs 9n − 158. Total XP to reach a level is the cumulative sum of every step below it.
That's why the first 30 levels come fast and the next 30 crawl: reaching level 30 needs 1,395 points, but reaching level 60 needs 8,595. Lapis-tier enchanting caps at level 30, so most grinding stops there.
The /xp add command above adds raw points, not levels — paste it into a creative or cheats-enabled world
to jump straight to the target.
More Minecraft tools
The rest of the set, for the parts of the grind this one doesn't touch
Frequently asked questions
Level costs, fast sources and the /xp command
How is XP calculated in Minecraft? +
XP needed to advance to the next level uses a piecewise formula (per minecraft.wiki/w/Experience): 2×level + 7 for levels 0-15, 5×level - 38 for 16-30, and 9×level - 158 for 31+. Total XP to reach level N is the cumulative sum.
How many XP points do I need to reach level 30? +
1395 points to go from level 0 to 30 in Java Edition.
What's the fastest way to gain XP? +
Endermen farms (5 XP each), bottle o' enchanting (3-11 XP each), or breeding villagers (1-7 XP per successful breeding, per minecraft.wiki/w/Experience).