Japanese tests besides the JLPT: JFT-Basic, EJU, J.TEST, JPT, BJT and more

Japanese tests compared: fee, scale, how often, results

Fees and schedules are for tests taken in Japan, read from each test owner's own site on October 5, 2026. "Not published" means the pages we could read do not say.

The Nihongo Kentei is left out of this table on purpose: it is not a test for learners. About the Nihongo Kentei.

Sources: Japan Foundation: about the JFT-Basic, Prometric: JFT-Basic booking, Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic, JASSO: EJU (1), JASSO: EJU (2), JASSO: EJU fees, JASSO: EJU schedule, JASSO: EJU (3), J.TEST official site (1), J.TEST official site (2), J.TEST official site (3), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (1), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (2), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (3), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (4), JPT official site (1), JPT official site (2), JPT official site (3), JPT official site (4), NAT-TEST official site (1), NAT-TEST official site (2), NAT-TEST official site (3), TOPJ official site (1), TOPJ official site (2), TOPJ official site (3)

Which visas and schools accept each test, as of October 5, 2026

These are the Immigration Services Agency (ISA) rules we read. A school or employer can add its own conditions, such as a limit on how old a certificate may be, so ask them as well.

For language-school entry, ISA lists the JLPT N5 and the JFT-Basic A1 outright. It accepts the others only "for the time being", including some not covered on this page, such as the STBJ, J-cert, JLCT, PJC Bridge, Online Test JT5 and S-JEP. For Specified Skilled Worker (i), ISA's FAQ names only the JFT-Basic and the JLPT. That the J.TEST, NAT-TEST, TOPJ and the others do not count is our reading of that. A test owner can apply to be added, and the ministry in charge of the field decides. ISA also says that a test certificate or an interview is now mandatory for the Student status: the older option of proving A1 with 150 hours of study history has ended. Details for every route: JLPT for visas and work.

Sources: jlpt.jp: FAQ, Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), Immigration Services Agency (3), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency (4), Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic FAQ, Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker Q&A, Immigration Services Agency (5), JPT official site, Immigration Services Agency (6)

JFT-Basic: fee, format, levels and what it counts for

The JFT-Basic is the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese. The Japan Foundation organizes the JFT-Basic. Prometric handles test reservations and day-of questions such as venue and what to bring.

• Everyday Japanese for people about to live in Japan mainly for work. It is not a general academic test. Foreign nationals whose native language is not Japanese. Japanese nationals cannot take it. In Japan you need a Japanese residence status (short-term stay is also allowed).
• Computer-based test (CBT) at a test center, with headphones. About 50 questions in 60 minutes. Four sections: script and vocabulary, conversation and expression, listening, reading. No speaking or writing section.
• Questions are shown in English. Test-takers can click to read each problem in a listed local language (Chinese, Indonesian, Khmer, Mongolian, Myanmar, Nepali, Thai, Vietnamese and others).
• Scaled score 10 to 250. 145-174 = A1, 175-199 = A2.1, 200-250 = A2.2 (A2). Below 145 shows no level. No minimum per section. Until July 2026 the test reported only the A2.2 (A2) pass. Since August 2026 it also reports A1 and A2.1. Older certificates with 200+ still prove A2.2.
• In Japan the fee is 10,000 yen. The Prometric page does not say whether that figure includes tax. Overseas fees are in local currency (for example USD 36 in Cambodia).
• As a rule it is held every month, in Japan and in other countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal and Thailand.
• Create a Prometric ID on the Prometric registration site, pick date and venue, pay by card or e-wallet or voucher. Book by three business days before (four if Saturday, Sunday or holiday). The Japan Foundation does not take bookings. The Prometric Japan pages are published in English and several other languages.
• Total score and level show on screen when the test ends. Official notification posts on the Prometric site within 5 business days. Results have no expiration date. The data stays on the registration website for five years, so print the notification in that window.
• A2.2 (A2) can be used to apply for Specified Skilled Worker (i). A1 is used for Employment for Skill Development and Student (language school) applications. A2.1 is mainly for changing employer under Employment for Skill Development. The JFT-Basic is not used for status-of-residence applications other than SSW (i), Employment for Skill Development and Student (language school).
• The limits: You can retake only if your total was 199 or lower, with a 45-day gap. Anyone at 200 or higher cannot retake. The owner does not publish a score-for-score equivalence with the JLPT. Some SSW fields need a higher level than the general standard.

Sources: Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic FAQ, Japan Foundation: about the JFT-Basic, Prometric: JFT-Basic booking (1), Prometric: JFT-Basic booking (2), Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic (1), Japan Foundation, Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic (2)

EJU: the exam for Japanese universities

The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) is run by JASSO, the Japan Student Services Organization. JASSO runs the EJU. Its English pages cover schedule, bulletin, fees and application.

• Japanese skills and basic academic ability needed to study at the undergraduate level in Japan. It replaced both the JLPT and the old General Examination for Foreign Students as an admission requirement. Used for undergraduate admission at many Japanese universities and for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship reservation program. Some universities admit applicants before arrival based on EJU scores.
• Subjects: Japanese as a Foreign Language, Science, Japan and the World, Mathematics. You choose subjects by the target university. Science and Japan and the World cannot both be taken.
• Paper-based. Mark-sheet answers, plus a handwritten writing sheet for the Japanese test. The Japanese test is in Japanese only; the other subjects can be taken in Japanese or English.
• Japanese as a Foreign Language is 125 minutes. Reading plus listening = 0-400 (0-200 each). Writing is scored separately 0-50. Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics are 0-200 each, 80 minutes each. No pass or fail.
• In Japan: 12,000 yen for one subject, 23,000 yen for two or three subjects, tax included. No cancellation or refund after payment. Fees outside Japan are in the bulletin.
• Twice a year, June and November, in Japan and overseas. 2026: June 21 (first session) and November 8 (second session). 2026 second session application ran July 6 to July 30 (Japan, 5 p.m. JST). 2026 first session ran February 16 to March 12. The 2027 dates are posted from around November.
• Scores post online about five weeks after the exam (2026 first session: June 21 test, July 28 announcement; second session: November 8 test, December 15 announcement, tentative). No paper score report is issued. Scores are valid for two years (the four most recent sessions). Some universities set their own rule. You cannot mix subjects from different sessions. No limit on how many times you can take it.
• For the Student status, ISA accepts EJU Japanese (reading, listening, and listening-reading total) of 200 or more as a stand-in for B2-level Japanese, for entrants through the end of FY2029. Listed beside JLPT N2, BJT 400 and JPT 525.
• The limit: JASSO says the EJU Japanese test and JLPT cannot be compared by score or difficulty, and that N1 or N2 holders usually still need the EJU if the school requires it. No score on the EJU Japanese test is equivalent to JLPT N1.
• No specific qualification is needed. Undergraduate admission in Japan in principle requires 12 years of schooling, checked with each school.

Sources: JASSO: EJU (1), JASSO: EJU (2), JASSO: EJU (3), JASSO: EJU (4), JASSO: EJU fees, JASSO: EJU schedule, JASSO: EJU (5), JASSO: EJU (6), Immigration Services Agency, JASSO: EJU and the JLPT

J.TEST (実用日本語検定, Test of Practical Japanese)

The J.TEST (also written jtest) is run by the J.TEST office. We could not find an English page on its site. Individuals apply on the internet.

• A test of Japanese for non-native speakers, run since 1991. About 60,000 take it each year (company staff, students, language school students). Reading and listening each count for 50 percent.
• Three exams. A-C level (1000 points, certified at 600+), D-E level (700 points, certified at 350+), F-G level (350 points, certified at 180+). Each has reading and listening sections.
• Reading then listening, with no break. The A-C and D-E exams include written-answer questions, and F-G is all multiple choice. We did not see on the pages we read whether it is taken on paper or on a computer.
• The J.TEST exam fee in Japan, for the public exam, is 5,800 yen.
• In Japan the A-C and D-E levels are held six times a year (January, March, May, July, September, November) and the F-G level twice a year (May and November).
• Online score search about three weeks after the exam.
• The owner says E grade is A2 or above and F grade is A1 or above in the Japanese Language Education Reference Framework. The owner marks its JLPT comparison as a rough guide only.
• ISA lists J.TEST F grade or above (or 250 points on the F-G exam) as a stop-gap proof of A1 Japanese for entering a Japanese language institution (Student).
• The owner sends immigration-use score certificates directly to schools and organizations, free; the candidate does not receive them. It points language-school applicants to the F-G exam. The owner issues immigration-use score certificates only for scores from within five years of the exam.
• Junior high school age or older, native language not Japanese. A person with Japanese nationality can take it if Japanese is not their first language.

Sources: J.TEST official site (1), J.TEST official site (2), J.TEST official site (3), J.TEST official site (4), Immigration Services Agency, J.TEST official site (5)

BJT: Business Japanese Proficiency Test

The BJT is run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. You book through Pearson VUE.

• Japanese used in business settings: understanding and using Japanese to handle business issues. Grammar and vocabulary are assumed knowledge.
• Computer-based test (CBT) at a Pearson VUE test center. Three parts: listening, listening and reading, reading. Four-option multiple choice.
• Score 0 to 800 (IRT scaled score), shown as six levels J5 to J1+. No pass or fail. Bands: 600-800, 530-599, 420-529, 320-419, 200-319, 0-199.
• 8,000 yen including tax for a test taken in Japan. Overseas fees differ and were revised from April 1, 2026. Almost every day, at test centers. You must wait 3 months between attempts.
• Create an account on the Pearson VUE online booking site (English pages exist), choose test center, date and time, pay by credit card or voucher. Two ID documents are needed at booking and on test day.
• The score report is handed over at the test center the same day. A score certificate with photo can be printed 3 days later.
• ISA confirms BJT 400 or more (or JLPT N2 or above) as proof of B2-level Japanese for the Business Manager (経営・管理) status. The applicant or a full-time employee must have it.
• ISA's Highly Skilled Professional points list gives 15 points for JLPT N1 or BJT 480+, 10 points for JLPT N2 or BJT 400+. For the Designated Activities status for graduates of Japanese universities, ISA asks for a score report for JLPT N1 or BJT 480 or more.
• The limit: ISA's list of Japanese tests for all Specified Skilled Worker fields names only the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese and, for reference, the JLPT; BJT is not on it. The owner reports a correlation with JLPT results but says N1 holders scored anywhere from 300 to 700. It publishes no direct equivalence table in the English pages.

Sources: BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (1), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (2), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (3), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (4), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (5), Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (PDF), Immigration Services Agency (2), Immigration Services Agency (3), BJT (Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation) (6)

JPT: Japanese Proficiency Test

The JPT is organized by the JPT Japan Executive Committee in Kyoto.

• Everyday and business communication skills. All learners take the same exam; there are no levels.
• Score 10 to 990 in steps of 5 (listening 5-495, reading 5-495). No pass or fail. 100 listening and 100 reading questions.
• The format is unclear. The features page calls it computer-based multiple choice, but the exam rules and FAQ refer to answer sheets, test books and pencils. The official pages disagree, so treat the format as unverified.
• 7,700 yen including tax in Japan. Not refundable once paid.
• The Japan schedule shows monthly tests on Sundays, with fewer cities in some months. The owner says the test runs twelve times a year.
• FAQ says results are announced about two weeks after the exam. No limit on how many times you can take it.
• Registration is through the official JPT app, which has English pages. You pay by credit card or at a convenience store, and you cannot cancel after paying.
• The owner's comparison table: 660+ = N1, 525+ = N2, 430+ = N3, 375+ = N4, 315+ = N5. It calls the link a questionnaire-based correlation. The owner says 370 or more equals CEFR A2 or above, based on its 2020 survey. It raised its A1-level mark from 220 to 315 points.
• ISA lists JPT 525 or more as part of the transitional list for university entry through FY2029. For language-school entry, ISA accepts JPT 315 (Elementary 68) for the time being. The owner states JPT is not approved as a Specified Skilled Worker Japanese test and that it is working on adoption.

Sources: JPT official site (1), JPT official site (2), JPT official site (3), JPT official site (4), JPT official site (5), JPT official site (6), Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2)

NAT-TEST: JLPT-style levels from 5Q to 1Q

The NAT-TEST is run by the Administration Committee of Senmon Kyouiku Publishing, and local offices run each country's tests.

• It tests grammar and vocabulary, listening and reading, in the style of the JLPT.
• Five levels (1Q to 5Q) matched to JLPT N1 to N5, pass or fail by level. A 180-point scale is mentioned in the FAQ.
• The owner maps passes to CEFR-equivalent levels by total score: 1Q 142+ is C1 (100 to 141 is B2), 2Q 112+ is B2 (90 to 111 is B1), 3Q 104+ is B1 (95 to 103 is A2), 4Q 90+ is A2 and 5Q 80+ is A1; the level is shown only on a pass and rests only on listening and reading.
• Two formats at the same time: paper (PBT, mark sheet) and CBT. CBT can be taken on any day if a computer is free. Paper test is held at least six times a year on Saturdays or Sundays (2026 schedule shows February, April, June, August, October, December). CBT started in Tokyo, Nagoya, with Osaka starting October 2026.
• The Nagoya center charges ¥6,000. The Tokyo and Osaka fees were not readable without an emailed link, so we do not give them.
• You apply at the local test center office, not through a central site. Nagoya takes an online form and its page is in simple Japanese with English.
• In Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya (Nagoya is CBT only). Many overseas sites in China, Vietnam, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and others.
• ISA lists NAT-TEST 5Q or above as stop-gap proof of A1 Japanese for entering a Japanese language institution; it is not on the ISA higher-education list, and ISA says no other test counts for SSW (i).

Sources: NAT-TEST official site (1), NAT-TEST official site (2), NAT-TEST official site (3), NAT-TEST official site (4), NAT-TEST official site (5), Immigration Services Agency

TOPJ (実用日本語運用能力試験, Practical Japanese Proficiency Test)

The TOPJ is organized by the TOPJ Executive Committee, and its site is in Japanese.

• Basic ability in vocabulary and grammar plus understanding of Japanese society and business culture. Three levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced.
• Beginner exam is 500 points: listening 35 min (225 points), writing/reading 55 min (275 points).
• 5,800 yen for each of beginner, intermediate and advanced in Japan (tax not stated). Held six times a year, timed for job hunting and study abroad preparation.
• The owner maps its grades to CEFR: beginner to A1 and A2, intermediate to B1 and B2, advanced to C1 and C2.
• Japan test sites are in Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa, though not at every session.
• For the time being, ISA treats TOPJ beginner A or above as proof of A1-level Japanese for entering a Japanese language institution.

Sources: TOPJ official site (1), TOPJ official site (2), TOPJ official site (3), TOPJ official site (4), TOPJ official site (5), TOPJ official site (6), Immigration Services Agency

Nihongo Kentei (日本語検定) is not a test for learners

Do not confuse the Nihongo Kentei with the JLPT or the J.TEST.

• The owner describes it as a test for everyone who uses Japanese, about using Japanese correctly. It is not a learner test: its grades follow school years and careers.
• A test for everyone who uses Japanese, meant to help people use Japanese correctly, and an exam of overall Japanese ability.
• It has seven grades, 1 to 7. The page describes grade 1 as working-adult advanced and grade 7 as elementary year 2, not as learner stages of Japanese.
• It is run by the Nihongo Kentei Committee, a different body from the J.TEST office.
• Grade 1 6,800 yen, grade 2 5,800, grade 3 4,300, grade 4 3,000, grade 5 2,300, grades 6 and 7 2,200 (tax not stated).
• Exam time is 50 to 60 minutes depending on grade. 2026 exam day: November 7 (Saturday), applications August 3 to October 9. Results come by post about 30 days after the exam day.
• Apply online, in person at a store counter, or by post. General venues are set up in all 47 prefectures.

Sources: Nihongo Kentei official site (1), Nihongo Kentei official site (2), Nihongo Kentei official site (3)

Which Japanese test should I take?

Start from the rule you have to meet, not from the test. Rules checked on October 5, 2026.

If none of these goals fits and you just want to know how your Japanese is doing, the JLPT is the test most of this page compares itself to. See the JLPT guide.

Sources: Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (1), Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic, Japan Foundation: about the JFT-Basic, Immigration Services Agency: Specified Skilled Worker Q&A, Immigration Services Agency (1), Immigration Services Agency (2), JASSO: EJU and the JLPT, Immigration Services Agency (3), Immigration Services Agency (PDF) (2), Immigration Services Agency (4), jlpt.jp: FAQ

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