Japanese Proficiency Tests Compared: Which Test Should You Take?

Several organisations test Japanese, and each one answers a slightly different question: how well you read and listen, how you use Japanese at work, how well you know kanji, or where you stand right now. This guide compares seven tests side by side, with formats, dates, results and fees checked on each provider's official site.

Japanese proficiency tests compared

Fees and dates vary by country and test centre; check each provider's official page. Figures checked November 2026. US dollar amounts are approximate, at ¥157.7 to $1.

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JLPT

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test is run by the Japan Foundation outside Japan, with local host institutions, and by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services inside Japan. It evaluates and certifies the Japanese of non-native speakers through multiple-choice sections on language knowledge (vocabulary and grammar), reading and listening, answered on paper. You register for one of five levels, from N5 to N1, and receive a pass result with a score report. The test is held in July and December, and some cities offer one of the two sessions. In Japan, results for the December 2026 test appear online from late January 2027. Our guides on what the JLPT is and the JLPT levels from N5 to N1 cover it in more depth. Official site: jlpt.jp.

Japanese Proficiency Test

The Japanese Proficiency Test is issued by International Test Limited. It is an online adaptive test: each answer guides the next question, across five categories (vocabulary, kanji, grammar, reading and listening), in 50 questions and about 30 minutes. Your result is an N level from N5 to N1, International Test Limited's reference levels, with the matching CEFR level from A1 to C1 and a score for each category. You can take it on any day, and the certificate, with an optional bilingual report, is issued the same day. Each certificate carries a unique ID and a QR code for online verification. Read more about the Japanese levels N5 to N1 or start the online Japanese test.

J.TEST

J.TEST (実用日本語検定, the Test of Practical Japanese) is organised by the Japanese Language Testing Association, with the J.TEST Japan office. It has measured the Japanese of non-native speakers since 1991, with reading and listening sections; the A–C and D–E tests include some written answers in the reading section. Results are score-based grades: the A–C test is scored out of 1,000 and runs from special A to C, with separate D–E and F–G tests for earlier stages. In Japan, A–C and D–E are held six times a year and F–G twice a year. Scores are available online about three weeks after the test. Official site: j-test.jp.

NAT-TEST

The Japanese Language NAT-TEST is organised by Senmon Kyouiku Publishing and measures the Japanese of students who are not native speakers. It uses a mark sheet with sections on language knowledge, reading and listening, and has five levels, from 5 (the first step) to 1, which follow the familiar N5 to N1 structure. The test is held six times a year, with centres in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, where it runs as a computer-based test. A score report arrives within three weeks of the test date, and many Japanese-language schools use it to follow student progress. Official site: nat-test.jp.

BJT

The BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test is run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. It measures how well you communicate in Japanese in business settings, through three computer-based parts: listening, listening and reading, and reading. Rather than levels to register for, it gives a score from 0 to 800, reported on six bands from J5 to J1+. You book a seat at a test centre and can take it on any day the centre is open, and the score report is provided at the end of the test. Employers use it in hiring and promotion, and some universities award credit for it. Official site: kanken.or.jp/bjt.

JFT-Basic

The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) is run by the Japan Foundation and delivered by Prometric. It measures the basic Japanese that people need for daily life and work when they come to live in Japan. The computer-based test has about 50 questions in four sections (script and vocabulary, conversation and expression, listening, and reading) and gives a score from 10 to 250, with A1, A2.1 and A2.2 judgements. It runs every month as a rule, in Japan and in a list of countries, mostly in Asia. Your score appears on screen at the end. It is widely used for Specified Skilled Worker (i) applications. Official site: jpf.go.jp/jft-basic.

Kanken

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (日本漢字能力検定, Kanken) is run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation. It focuses on kanji: readings, writing, compounds, radicals and stroke order, mostly with written answers, so it suits learners who want to measure their kanji in depth. It has twelve grades, from 10級 to 1級, and is taken by people in Japan of all ages as well as by learners of Japanese. Paper tests run three times a year; a computer-based version runs on dates you choose at venues across Japan, and an online version can be taken at home. Paper results are online about 30 days after the test. Official site: kanken.or.jp.

What are the alternatives to the JLPT?

The JLPT is the scheduled exam most learners know, and several other tests sit alongside it, each built for a different purpose. Here is what each one is designed for.

• J.TEST: practical Japanese for work and study, held six times a year in Japan.
• NAT-TEST: progress checks for language-school students, held six times a year.
• BJT: Japanese for business settings, on most days at a test centre.
• JFT-Basic: basic Japanese for work and Specified Skilled Worker (i) visas, every month as a rule.
• Japanese Proficiency Test: a quick, verifiable level certificate, online on any day; start the online Japanese test.

Which Japanese test should you take?

University applications in Japan

The JLPT is the test universities and language schools most often name, and N2 or N1 is commonly requested for courses taught in Japanese. Plan around the July and December sessions. The JLPT levels guide shows what each level involves.

Working in Japan

For office roles, a JLPT level, often N2, is widely used in job adverts. For Specified Skilled Worker (i) routes, JFT-Basic is commonly used, with tests every month and a score at the end of the test.

Business Japanese

The BJT is designed for business communication, and its 0 to 800 score shows progress in finer steps. Test centres take bookings on most days, so you can choose a date that fits your schedule.

Kanji literacy

Kanken measures kanji in depth, from reading to handwriting, across twelve grades. It suits learners who want a dedicated kanji goal alongside a general Japanese test.

A fast, verifiable level certificate today

The Japanese Proficiency Test gives you an N level with the matching CEFR level in about 30 minutes, on any day, with a certificate issued the same day and verifiable online. If you already have a target level, the N4 Test and the other level tests show whether you have reached it.

How the Japanese Proficiency Test fits in

• Provider: International Test Limited
• Format: online adaptive test, 50 questions across vocabulary, kanji, grammar, reading and listening
• Duration: about 30 minutes
• Availability: every day
• Levels: N5 to N1 reference levels, with the matching CEFR level from A1 to C1
• Results: same day
• Certificate: a Japanese proficiency certificate verifiable online, with an optional bilingual report
• Price: from $16.98 (certificate with 1-year validity)

Many learners take it to see where they stand before registering for a scheduled exam, or to add a verifiable level to a CV or application. Start the online Japanese test →

Sources

• JLPT: about the test, purpose, test sections, results, 2026 session in Japan and fee (JEES)
• J.TEST: test overview, schedule, results and fee
• NAT-TEST: about, schedule, test centres and fee
• BJT: overview, computer-based testing and results, score bands, fee
• JFT-Basic: about, FAQ, fee in Japan (Prometric)
• Kanken: outline, grades, paper test dates and fees, computer-based test, results