Overview
The General Service examination (一般職試験, Ippanshoku) is run by the National Personnel Authority (人事院) to recruit staff for clerical and technical work that carries out and follows up government policy in national ministries and agencies. The Comprehensive Service exam is separate and recruits for policy planning posts.
There are three levels, all described on the Authority's pages for the 2026 round: the university-level exam, the high-school-level exam, and a mid-career exam for working adults (係員級) that is run together with the high-school-level exam. The Authority's pages are in Japanese.
Levels or stages
University-level exam (大卒程度試験)
Open to people born between 2 April 1996 and 1 April 2005, and to people born later who have graduated, or will graduate by March 2027, from a university, junior college or technical college (or are judged equivalent by the Authority). The categories are 行政 (administration), 教養 (general education) and a set of technical categories: digital/electrical/electronic, mechanical, civil engineering, architecture, physics, chemistry, agriculture, agricultural engineering and forestry. Administration and general-education candidates apply to one of nine regional blocks, though ministries in Tokyo can hire from all of them. The general-education category has a slightly different age window (born between 2 April 1996 and 1 April 2006, or later with a degree).
High-school-level exam (高卒者試験)
Open to people who graduated from high school (or secondary school) less than two years before 1 April 2026, those graduating by March 2027, and people the Authority treats as equivalent. The 2026 round suspended the agriculture category. A separate tax officer exam is run from the same guide.
Working-adult exam (社会人試験, 係員級)
Open to people born on or after 2 April 1986 whose high-school graduation is outside the window above. In 2026 the clerical, agriculture and forestry categories were suspended, as was the technical category for the Kyushu region.
People who are not Japanese nationals, or who are barred from civil service under the National Public Service Act (for example certain people with a prison sentence or a dismissal within two years), cannot take any level.
Exam pattern
University level, administration category
| Stage | Test | Detail | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Basic ability (multiple choice) | 30 questions, 1 hour 50 minutes: 24 reasoning questions and 6 on current affairs and information | 2/9 |
| First | Specialised subjects (multiple choice) | 40 questions, 3 hours | 4/9 |
| First | General essay | 1 question, 1 hour; marked only for those who pass the multiple-choice papers | 1/9 |
| Second | Individual interview | Personality test also given as a reference | 2/9 |
Technical categories have a similar first stage, with the essay replaced by a written specialised test (and architecture using a 33-question, 2-hour specialised paper). The general-education category replaces the specialised paper with a 120-question, 15-minute speed test of simple processing tasks, and has a general-education essay of 1 hour 20 minutes.
High-school level
| Stage | Test | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| First | Basic ability (multiple choice) | 40 questions, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| First | Aptitude test (clerical) | 120 questions, 15 minutes |
| First | Composition (clerical) | 1 question, 50 minutes; pass or fail only |
| Second | Individual interview | Personality test as a reference |
Technical, agricultural engineering and forestry categories take a 40-question, 1 hour 40 minute specialised paper in place of the aptitude test and composition.
Marking and results
Passing the first stage is decided on the multiple-choice papers. The essay or composition is marked only for those who pass, and then combined with the other scores for the final result. Final successful candidates are entered, in score order, on a recruitment list: valid for five years for the university-level categories other than general education, six years for general education, and one year for the high-school-level exam. Ministries then interview people on the list and decide who to hire. For the university-level exam, candidates must visit ministries (官庁訪問) to be considered.
Important dates
For the 2026 round:
University level: applications 19 February to 23 March 2026, first stage 31 May, first-stage results 24 June, second stage 8 to 24 July, final results 12 August.
High-school level: applications 12 to 24 June 2026, first stage 6 September, first-stage results 8 October, second stage 14 to 23 October, final results 17 November.
How to apply
Applications are made on the Authority's online system. You need an internet connection (normally a PC) and a printer. After passing the first stage, you download your pass notice and interview card from your personal record on the site.
Preparation tips
Practise the reasoning and current-affairs questions of the basic-ability paper, and for categories with specialised papers, study the subjects listed in the guide for your category. Past papers from 2023 onwards, pass marks and averages are published on the Authority's page for each exam.
Does passing the General Service exam guarantee a job?
No. You are placed on a recruitment list, and ministries choose from it after their own interviews.
What are the levels of the General Service exam?
A university-level exam, a high-school-level exam and a working-adult exam (係員級) run with the high-school one.