How to Pass JFT Basic in Nepal: Syllabus, Practice & Booking Tips

To pass the JFT-Basic in Nepal, you need a total score of 200 or more out of 250. The test is the same as everywhere else. What is different in Nepal is the competition: thousands of candidates chase the same seats, and fewer of them reach 200 than the global average. So you need two plans: one to study, and one to book.

This post is about strategy. For the fee, the five test centres and the ID rules, read our JFT-Basic Nepal guide. Here are the key facts in one box:

Test fee

USD 36tax is added at booking

ID to bring

Passport

Test length

60 min · about 50 questions

On-screen translation

Nepali

Score for SSW (i)

200 or higher (A2)

Why passing is harder in Nepal (and how to use that)

The Japan Foundation's report for August–September 2026 counted 12,782 applicants in Nepal and 12,055 who sat the test. Of those, 27.6% reached A2.2, the 200+ level the SSW visa needs. Another 25.2% scored 175–199 (A2.1). Across all test sites, 41.3% reached A2.2.

In June–July 2026, 33.5% of Nepali test-takers passed the A2 line, against 51.3% across all sites. So the gap is steady, not a one-off.

What does this tell you? Many candidates in Nepal book before they are ready. Some are pushed by an agent's deadline. Others hope the test is easier than it is. A score below 200 means a 45-day wait and another fee. The cheapest way to pass is to book only when your mock scores are already above 200.

The JFT-Basic syllabus, in plain words

There is no special Nepal syllabus. Every country sits the same test: about 50 questions, four sections, one 60-minute clock. The Japan Foundation builds it on "Can-do" goals: what you can do in Japanese in daily life and at work, at the A2 level.

What each section really asks of you:

• Script and Vocabulary. Can you read kana, common kanji and everyday words? Choices often differ by one sound, so exact readings matter.
• Conversation and Expression. Can you pick the right grammar form and the right set phrase for a moment at work or in a shop?
• Listening Comprehension. Can you catch a time, a price or a place in natural speech? Each clip plays at most 2 times, and the choices are pictures.
• Reading Comprehension. Can you find information in a notice, a message or a timetable? Questions and choices are in Japanese.

Only your total counts. There is no minimum per section, so a strong section can carry a weaker one. Our test format guide shows how the screens work.

Your advantage as a Nepali speaker

Nepali and Japanese share more than most learners expect. Use these links, but use them carefully.

Same word order. Both languages put the verb at the end. "I rice eat" (わたしは　ごはんを　たべます) feels natural to a Nepali speaker. English speakers have to fight this; you don't.

Postpositions, not prepositions. Nepali marks words with endings after the noun, like ले, लाई and मा. Japanese does the same with particles: は, を, に, で. But they don't match one to one. मा can be に (where something is) or で (where something happens). Learn each particle with example sentences, not a translation table.

Politeness levels. Nepali has तँ, तिमी, तपाईं and हजुर. You already know that one idea can be said at different levels of respect. Japanese です・ます forms and shop keigo like ございます follow the same logic.

English loanwords, with a warning. Nepali uses many English words: bus, ticket, hospital. Japanese has them too, in katakana: バス, チケット. But some are false friends:

Check your guesses with a quick quiz:

A study rhythm that fits around work

Most candidates in Nepal study while working, farming or helping at home. Long weekend sessions rarely last. Short daily sessions do. Here is a rhythm that works with one to two hours a day:

• Morning, 20 minutes: kana and kanji flashcards. Five new words, then review.
• Travel or break, 20 minutes: listening only. Replay Irodori audio and note every number and time.
• Evening, 40–60 minutes: one block of the Irodori coursebook. Listen first, read the script second, say it aloud third.
• Saturday: one section drill or, later, a full timed mock test.

The Irodori FAQ estimates each lesson at about 150–180 minutes of activities, plus 1–2 hours of language practice. So at one hour a day, plan for about one lesson a week. Our Irodori guide explains how to use the books.

Listening is where many candidates lose points. Start it in week one, not at the end.

Is there a JFT-Basic Nepal practice test?

There is no Nepal-only version of the test, so there is no Nepal-only practice test either. Any practice in the real format works. Use it in three stages:

1. Now: the free 12-question practice test. It takes about 15 minutes and shows your estimated band.
2. Every week: short drills on your weakest section in section practice.
3. The last month: full timed mock tests, with the 60-minute clock and no pausing.

Review every wrong answer. Sort it into vocabulary, kanji, grammar or "heard it but missed it". The biggest pile is next week's focus.

When to book: the test-date math

Prometric lists the next period as 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Booking for Nepal opens on 25 November 2026 at about 12:45 PM Nepal time, about six hours after most other countries. Bookings close at least 3 business days before your test date. Always check Prometric's schedule page first, because times and centres change.

A simple rule: book only if you scored above 200 on two full mock tests in a row. If you are not there yet, skip this window and aim for the next one. Missing a window costs you a few weeks. Failing costs you 45 days and a second fee.

The registration guide walks through each screen. On test day, bring your original passport: it is the only ID Prometric accepts in Nepal.

Agents, fees and scams

You book the JFT-Basic yourself, on Prometric's website, for the fee on Prometric's fee page. You don't need an agent for the test. Be careful with anyone who:

• asks for much more than the listed fee to book a seat for you;
• promises a guaranteed score or a "special centre";
• asks for your Prometric password.

Going to Japan on SSW has other real costs: the skills test, the visa, a medical check, Nepal's pre-departure steps and the labour permit. Add them up before you pay any agency.

Your next step

Find out where you stand today with the free practice test. Then take a full timed mock test before you even think about booking. When you clear 200 twice in a row, you are ready for the Nepal booking queue.