JFT-Basic

Overview

The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) checks whether a foreign national has the Japanese needed for everyday life, mainly for people who are about to live and work in Japan. It is run by the Japan Foundation and taken on a computer at test centres. Its results are used to support applications for the Specified Skilled Worker, Employment for Skill Development and Student (enrolment in a Japanese language institution) residence statuses.

Who can take it

The test is meant for foreign nationals whose first language is not Japanese, and Japanese nationals are not eligible. Each country can have its own conditions. For example, Prometric Japan lists a minimum age of 18 on the test date for Indonesian nationals and 17 for Myanmar nationals. If you sit the test in Japan, you need a Japanese residence status, and a short-term stay is accepted.

A valid Japanese Language Proficiency Test result can replace the JFT-Basic for some visas. Prometric Japan states that JLPT N4 or higher means you do not need the JFT-Basic for the Specified Skilled Worker status, and JLPT N5 or higher is enough for the Training and Employment status.

Exam pattern

The test is computer-based and has about 50 questions in four sections. There is one 60-minute limit for the whole test, with no separate time limit for each section.

Questions are shown in English, and you can switch to a translation in several other languages, including Nepali, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thai and Bengali. Listening audio can be played up to two times. There is no speaking or writing test, and you cannot sit only some of the sections. Within a section you can go back and review answers, but you cannot return to an earlier section once you move on, and Listening cannot be reviewed.

Marking and results

Scores run from 10 to 250 and are mapped to levels of the Common European Framework (CEFR). Since August 2026 the test reports A1 and A2.1 as well as A2.2; before that it reported only A2.2. The total is a scaled score, not a count of correct answers, and there is no minimum per section. A score below 145 shows no level.

A2.1 means you have reached A1 and are progressing towards A2.2. As the Japan Foundation describes it, A1 is used for the Employment for Skill Development and Student statuses, A2.1 mainly for a voluntary change of employer under Employment for Skill Development, and A2.2 for Specified Skilled Worker (i). Some industries need a higher level. A result issued up to July 2026 with 200 or more still proves A2.2. Your score appears on screen right after the test. Official notification follows within 5 business days of the test date through the booking site.

How to apply

The Japan Foundation does not take bookings itself. You create a Prometric ID, then reserve a seat through the Prometric website, which lists test centres in Japan and mainly in Asia. The test is held monthly. Prometric Japan states that bookings and changes close at 23:59 Japan time three business days before the test date, or four business days if the test falls on a weekend or holiday. The test fee depends on the country where you sit it, and Prometric publishes a fee table by country.

After the exam

Results do not expire, and the result data stays available online for five years. If your total score is 199 or lower, you can retake the test after a 45-day gap. Candidates who score 200 or more cannot retake it.

Preparation tips

• Practise reading short notices and messages quickly, since the whole test is only 60 minutes.

• Learn everyday kanji readings and common set expressions for work and daily life.

• Use the English or home-language display as a support, but build listening practice in Japanese, as Listening cannot be reviewed.