Overview
The teacher employment examination (教員採用選考試験) is how public school teachers are hired in Japan. There is no single national exam. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) surveys the exams run by 67 prefectural and designated-city boards of education plus the Toyono-area teachers' personnel council in Osaka Prefecture, 68 bodies in all. Each body sets its own exam. MEXT's pages are in Japanese.
MEXT's survey covers the exam content (practical tests, interviews and written tests), special selections for people with particular qualifications or careers, and age limits, but these differ by body and this page does not state them. Read the notice of the board you apply to.
Exam pattern
Exams are held separately for these school types, and MEXT reports results for each: elementary school, junior high school, senior high school, special-needs school, school nurse teachers and nutrition teachers.
Marking and results
MEXT reports that for the exams held in 2024 (for hiring in the 2025 school year):
| School type | Applicants | Hired | Applicants per hire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | 34,434 | 17,078 | 2.0 |
| Junior high | 36,621 | 10,168 | 3.6 |
| Senior high | 19,705 | 5,152 | 3.8 |
| Special-needs | 7,252 | 3,650 | 2.0 |
| All types together | 109,123 | 37,375 | 2.9 |
The overall ratio of 2.9 is the lowest on record, and the number of hires is the highest since 1986. The all-types total includes school nurse teachers and nutrition teachers, so it is larger than the sum of the four rows above.
How to apply
Apply to the prefectural or designated-city board of education (or the Osaka council) that is recruiting, following its own notice.
Preparation tips
Because exams are set by each board, use the notice and past papers of the board you are applying to.
Is the teacher employment exam run nationally?
No. 67 prefectural and designated-city boards of education and one Osaka council each run their own exam.
How competitive is the exam?
For the exams held in 2024, MEXT reports 2.9 applicants per hire overall, the lowest on record, with 2.0 for elementary schools.