Specified Skilled Worker (i) needs two passes: a Japanese test (JFT-Basic score 200+, or JLPT N4) and your fields skill test. Both are computer tests bookable directly with Prometric, held monthly in 13 countries outside Japan. Former technical interns who completed TITP (ii) are exempt.
Key facts
- Tests required
- Japanese test + your fields skill test
- Japanese pass line
- JFT-Basic 200/250 (A2) — or JLPT N4
- Format
- Computer test (CBT) at Prometric centers
- Where
- Japan + 13 countries
- Question language
- English on screen + your-language pop-up (13 languages)
- TITP (ii) completers
- Exempt in the same field
JFT-Basic test days outside Japan — July 2026 (2026)
| Country | Test days | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nepal | 18 days | ISA (official) |
| Myanmar | 18 days | ISA (official) |
| Indonesia | 18 days | ISA (official) |
| Sri Lanka | 17 days | ISA (official) |
| Philippines | 16 days | ISA (official) |
| Bangladesh | 16 days | ISA (official) |
| Vietnam | 8 days | ISA (official) |
| India | 6 days | ISA (official) |
| Uzbekistan | 5 days | ISA (official) |
| Cambodia | 4 days | ISA (official) |
| Thailand | 4 days | ISA (official) |
| Mongolia | 2 days | ISA (official) |
| Pakistan | 2 days | ISA (official) |
Two passes, one visa
Specified Skilled Worker (i) — Japan’s fastest-growing status, up more than 105,000 people in 2025 alone — is gated by exactly two exams: a Japanese test and a skill test for your industry field. There is no lottery, no employer needed to sit them, and no agent involved: you book both yourself, in your own country.
The Japanese test: JFT-Basic, or JLPT N4
The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) is a computer test at Prometric centers. Scores run from 10 to 250; 200 and above is the level for SSW (i). Four sections — script and vocabulary, conversation and expression, listening, reading — and every question can be shown with a pop-up translation in your own language, including Nepali, Burmese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Khmer, Thai and Mongolian.
In July 2026 it ran on 18 days of the month in Nepal, Myanmar and Indonesia and 17 in Sri Lanka — this is effectively an on-demand test, not an annual event. The full country table is below. The JLPT (N4 or above) is accepted equally; it runs only twice a year, so JFT-Basic is the faster route unless you already hold N4.
Your field’s skill test
Each of the 16 industry fields runs its own skill test — nursing care, food service, food manufacturing, agriculture, construction, accommodation and the rest — mostly as CBT at the same Prometric centers. Two details worth knowing:
- Nursing care adds a third exam: a short Japanese test of care vocabulary.
- Test availability by country differs by field. Nursing care ran in 13 countries in July 2026; smaller fields run less often. Check your field on the official schedule before planning anything else.
Booking without a broker
Create a Prometric account, choose the test, pay the local fee, sit the exam. That is the entire process. The reason to say this plainly: around SSW there is an industry of “agents” charging for test registration. Registration is personal and free — pay for a Japanese course if you need one, never for a booking.
Already in Japan?
Both tests also run inside Japan on a near-daily schedule, and students or dependents can sit them. Passing while on another status opens the change of status route into SSW without leaving the country — see the Specified Skilled Worker overview for where the visa itself then leads.
Step by step
- Pick your field and check your country
16 industry fields exist. Check on the official SSW portal that your fields test runs in your country — the Japanese test runs in all 13.
- Create your Prometric ID
Registration is personal and free. Book JFT-Basic directly; fees are paid per attempt in local currency.
- Take JFT-Basic — aim at 200
Scores run 10–250; 200 is the SSW line. Four sections, and every question offers a pop-up translation in your language.
- Take your fields skill test
Run by each industry body, mostly as CBT at the same Prometric centers. Nursing care adds a short care-vocabulary Japanese test.
- Then find the job
Passing both tests gives you eligibility, not a visa. The employer contract and COE come next.
Common mistakes & warnings
- Fees are charged per attempt and differ by country. A failed attempt is money gone — book when you are ready, not to "see the test".
- You do not need any agent to register. Prometric accounts are personal and free; anyone selling "reservation help" is selling nothing.
- Passing both tests does not by itself give you a visa. You still need an employer, a contract and a COE.
Frequently asked questions
I completed Technical Intern Training (ii). Do I need the tests?
No — TITP (ii) completers are exempt from both tests when staying in the same field. Moving to a different field needs that fields skill test only.
JFT-Basic or JLPT — which should I take?
Both are accepted; N4 is the JLPT equivalent. JFT-Basic runs almost monthly at computer centers and shows results quickly; JLPT runs twice a year on paper. If you already hold N4 or higher, you need no Japanese test at all.
What does SSW (ii) require?
A field skill test at the (ii) level plus work experience — no Japanese test. It is the senior tier you move to after years as SSW (i).
Official sources
- Immigration Services Agency — SSW support site: Proficiency Tests (2026-07-23)
- Japan Foundation — About the JFT-Basic (2026-07-23)
- Prometric — Specified Skilled Worker tests (2026-07-23)
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration rules change; always confirm details with the official sources listed above before making decisions.