Free to start · no sign-up · made for SSW candidates
Japanese for your SSW visa, from こんにちは to 200
Practise with original questions built like the real JFT-Basic: the same four sections, the same 60-minute clock, listening you can play twice. Every answer is explained in plain English, and you see how far you are from 200.
- Starts from zero
- Real test format
- Free, no card
Independent practice site. Not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or Prometric.
Why the JFT-Basic
The quickest Japanese test to an SSW visa
It runs in 14 countries, almost every month, and your score appears on screen the moment you finish. One number decides it: 200.
Read the test format guide- minutes, one clock for all 4 sections
- 60
- questions, all multiple choice
- ~50
- the SSW (i) level on the 10–250 scale
- 200+
- days to wait before a retake
- 45
Source: the Japan Foundation and Prometric. Always check dates and fees on the official sites.
Try it now
Three real-style questions. No timer, no account.
One from Script and Vocabulary, one conversation, one notice. You see the answer and why straight after each one.
Try it now · 3 questions
Question 1 of 3
Choose the correct reading of the underlined word.
まいあさ 電車で 会社へ 行きます。
The method
Most people study Japanese from a textbook. The test checks something else.
The JFT-Basic asks you to use Japanese in real situations: a station announcement, a notice on the door, a quick chat at work. So that's what you practise here, from day one.
The usual way
Textbook first, test last
- Grammar tables and word lists before any real Japanese
- Furigana on every kanji, so you never learn to read without it
- You first see the real test format on test day
The result: you know the rules, but the clock and the screen surprise you.
The JFT Prep way
Practise the test you'll sit
- Original questions in the same four sections and order
- No furigana, like the real screen
- Listening clips you can play twice, as on test day
- Every answer explained in plain English
The result: on test day the format feels familiar, and you know which section to work on.
A study day
What does 45 minutes a day look like?
Short pieces you can fit around work or a long commute. Do them on your phone.
- 5 min
Kana and kanji warm-up ウォームアップ
A quick round of the hiragana and katakana quiz, then today's kanji words.
- 15 min
One section drill ドリル
A short set from your weakest section, with the explanation after each answer.
- 10 min
Listen twice 聴解
Two conversations or one announcement. Play each clip at most twice, like the real test.
- 10 min
Read a real-style notice 読解
A timetable, a flyer or a message. Find the one detail the question asks for.
- 5 min
Review your mistakes ふりかえり
Go back to what you got wrong and read why. This is where most of the points come from.
What's on the test
Four sections, one 60-minute clock
The JFT-Basic is a computer-based test at Prometric centres. There is no speaking or writing: every question is multiple choice, and listening clips can be played up to 2 times. Once you move on to the next section you can't go back.
文字と語彙
Script and Vocabulary
- Word meaning
- Word usage
- Kanji reading
- Kanji meaning and usage
Read everyday Japanese script and use basic words: pictures to words, words in sentences, kanji readings.
会話と表現
Conversation and Expression
- Grammar
- Expression
Use the grammar and set phrases of everyday conversation: the right form for the context, the right reply.
聴解
Listening Comprehension
- Conversations
- At shops and public places
- Announcements and instructions
Understand conversations, shop and station exchanges, and announcements. Each clip plays up to twice; answers are pictures.
読解
Reading Comprehension
- Comprehending content
- Information search
Read short messages and notices, and find information in timetables, leaflets and price lists.
The score
200 is the number that matters for SSW
Your total is a scaled score from 10 to 250, not a count of right answers. The Japan Foundation doesn't call it a pass mark: it reports a level, and 200+ (A2.2, shown as A2) is the level used for the Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa.
No section minimum
The level comes from your total across all four sections, so a strong section can carry a weaker one.
Result on the day
Your score and level appear on screen when you finish. The official result follows on Prometric's My Page within 5 business days.
Below 200? Wait 45 days
Only scores of 199 or less can be retaken, after a 45-day wait counted from the day after your test. At 200+ you can't retake it.
- ＊10–144Below A1, shown as ＊
- A1145–174A1: Employment for Skill Development entry, language-school entry
- A2.1175–199A2.1: for job changes under Employment for Skill Development
- A2.2 (A2)200–250A2: Specified Skilled Worker (i)
Compare
How does it compare?
What each option gives you for the JFT-Basic.
| How does it compare? | Coaching centre | Textbooks and YouTube | Official sample questions | JFT Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full timed mock tests in the real format | ||||
| Listening you can play only twice | ||||
| Every answer explained in plain English | ||||
| Score estimate on the 10–250 scale | ||||
| Practise any time, on your phone | ||||
| Cost | Monthly fees | Free, but no structure | Free, a few questions | Free start, Premium from $6 a month |
Your timeline
How long until you reach 200?
Move the sliders for a rough estimate.
Kana
all hiragana and katakana
A1
basic phrases
A2.1
175–199
A2
200+, SSW level
You could reach 200 in about 14 months
Find out with the practice testA rough estimate, not a promise. It assumes about 350 hours of study from zero to the A2 level the SSW visa needs, a common guide for beginner Japanese. The free practice test shows where you really are.
Free tools
Study tools that cost nothing
Small, focused tools for the parts of the test people find hardest, and for the move to Japan after it. No sign-up.
- Score calculatorSee which level a score gives you and how far you are from 200.
- Listening practiceShort clips about prices, times and places, with answers and transcripts.
- Kanji listThe everyday kanji the test expects, by topic, with readings and a quiz.
- Vocabulary listDaily-life and work words by topic, with audio and flashcards.
- Study plannerA week-by-week plan built from your test date and your level.
- SSW salary calculatorEstimate take-home pay in Japan after tax, insurance and rent.
How to prepare here
Three steps from "where am I?" to test day
Step 1 · Free
12-question practice test
About 15 minutes across all four sections, with audio and an instant band estimate. No account needed.
Start the practice testStep 2 · Free
One full mock test
About 50 questions in 60 minutes, with the real test's rules: no going back between sections, 2 plays per clip.
Take a mock testStep 3 · Premium
Practise your weakest section
Every mock paper, section drills with explanations and a study plan built around the section that costs you the most points.
See section practice
Where you can sit it
Test dates, fees and ID rules in 14 countries
Fees are set per country by Prometric, and the ID you must bring differs too. Pick your country for its fee, centres, booking steps and test-day rules.
- NepalUSD 36
- IndiaINR 3,540
- PhilippinesPHP 2,010
- IndonesiaIDR 550,000
- MyanmarUSD 36
- VietnamVND 870,000
- Sri LankaLKR 12,000
- BangladeshBDT 3,800
- CambodiaUSD 36
- ThailandTHB 1,260
- MongoliaMNT 125,000
- UzbekistanUSD 36
- PakistanPKR 10,788
- JapanJPY 10,000
Working in Japan
The JFT-Basic is your Japanese test for the SSW (i) visa
Specified Skilled Worker (i) applicants show Japanese at A2 level: the JFT-Basic at 200+ or the JLPT. You also pass the skills test of your field, and some fields add more.
19 fields
From construction and agriculture to the three new fields: Resource Recycling, Linen Services and Logistics Warehouse. Food Service isn't taking new applications.
Nursing Care adds a test
Care workers also sit the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test alongside the care skills test.
Former technical interns
Completed Technical Intern Training (ii)? You're exempt from the tests for the related field.
Pricing
Less than one test fee, for the whole course of practice
Start free. Upgrade when you want every mock paper and the section drills.
Free
Practice test, mock test 1 and every guide and tool.
$0
PremiumRecommended
Every mock paper, section drills and your study plan.
$6a month
Exam sprint
Three months of Premium, paid once, for your test date.
$14for 3 months
Booking alerts
Get an email the day booking opens in your country.
Seats in popular cities go within days. We watch the Prometric schedule and email you once — no spam, unsubscribe in one click.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- JFT-Basic sample questionsOriginal example questions for every section, each with the answer and why it is right.
- JFT-Basic study planA week-by-week plan from kana to test day, built around the free Irodori coursebook.
- JFT-Basic vs JLPT N4Which test to take for the SSW visa, how they differ, and which is easier to schedule.
- JFT-Basic grammar quizParticles and verb forms the test uses most, explained after each answer.
Step 1 · 15 minutes
Your test seat costs more than this practice.
Take the free practice test first. Know your band and the section to fix before you book.
Free. No account needed. Your result stays on this device.