If you are heading to Japan as a Specified Skilled Worker, you need to prove your Japanese, and you have two routes: the JFT-Basic or the JLPT. Agents, teachers and forums often push one or the other without explaining why. Both work. The right choice depends on your timeline, how you study, and how you handle a long paper test. This article puts the official facts side by side.
Both tests are accepted for SSW (i)
The official SSW portal (ssw.go.jp), run by the Japanese government, lists two Japanese tests "for all fields": the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Prometric, which delivers the JFT-Basic, states that if you hold JLPT N4 or higher, you do not need to take the JFT-Basic to apply for SSW status. On the JFT-Basic, the level you need is A2.2 (A2), a total of 200 or more.
Two important extras:
- You also need your field's skills test. The Japanese test is only half of the requirement. See the list of SSW fields.
- Nursing care needs one more Japanese test. Care candidates also take the Long-term Care SSW Japanese Language Evaluation Test, which Prometric lists as 15 questions in 30 minutes, together with the care skills test.
People who have completed Technical Intern Training (ii) are exempt from the tests for the related field, according to the SSW portal.
Side by side
| JFT-Basic | JLPT N4 | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | About every month, in Japan and abroad | Twice a year, in July and December (some overseas cities hold only one) |
| Format | Computer test at a Prometric centre | Paper test with answer sheets |
| Length | 60 minutes, about 50 questions | 115 minutes: vocabulary 25, grammar and reading 55, listening 35 |
| Focus | Daily-life situations in Japan | Vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening at N4 level |
| Scoring | 10–250 scaled total; 200 for SSW | 0–180; pass needs 90 overall and 38/120 in language knowledge and reading and 19/60 in listening |
| Section minimums | None | Yes, two |
| Results | On screen at the end; official notice within 5 business days | Score report by mail: overseas in early October (July test) or early March (December test) |
| Validity | No expiry (print it: data online for 5 years) | Certificate never expires |
| Retake | After 45 days if you scored 199 or less; not allowed at 200+ | At the next session |
The full JFT-Basic vs JLPT N4 guide covers every row in more detail.
Choose the JFT-Basic if...
You are on a deadline. This is the biggest difference. With a test about every month and results on the day, the JFT-Basic fits a job offer with a start date. If you miss the JLPT in July, the next chance is December, and the score report for an overseas December test arrives in early March.
You learn from real-life Japanese. The JFT-Basic is built on everyday tasks: notices, shop talk, announcements, workplace small talk. Learners who studied with the Irodori coursebook, which the Japan Foundation designed around the same "Can-do" goals, find the content familiar.
One weak section worries you. The JFT-Basic has no section minimums: a strong reading score can carry weaker listening. On the JLPT N4 you must also clear 19 out of 60 in listening, whatever your total.
You want a shorter test. One hour on a computer, against almost two hours on paper.
Choose the JLPT N4 if...
You want a credential beyond SSW. The JLPT is widely known by schools and employers in and outside Japan, and many learners go on to N3 and above.
Your test date is already set and suits you. If the July or December session lines up with your plans, there is no disadvantage in timing.
You prefer paper and a fixed structure. Some learners do better with a printed test and a separate time slot for each part.
You can't get a JFT-Basic seat that suits you. If no centre near you has a date that fits, the JLPT can be a back-up route.
Can you take both?
Yes, nothing stops you, and some candidates do: they sit the JFT-Basic as soon as they are ready, and register for the next JLPT session as a back-up. Just remember that once you score 200 or more on the JFT-Basic, you cannot retake it, and you don't need to: one A2.2 result meets the requirement.
Common myths
- "The JFT-Basic needs a pass in every section." No. The official FAQ says the level is judged on the total across all four sections.
- "The JFT-Basic expires after two years." No. It has no expiry date.
- "N5 is enough for SSW." The level Prometric names is JLPT N4 or higher.
- "The JFT-Basic is only for some fields." The SSW portal lists it for all fields. Nursing care adds a care Japanese test on top.
How to decide in five minutes
- When do you need your result? Within three months: JFT-Basic.
- Is your listening much weaker than your reading? JFT-Basic avoids a listening minimum.
- Do you want a certificate for further study in Japan? Consider the JLPT too.
- Are you in nursing care? Either test, plus the care Japanese test.
Not sure which SSW fields fit your experience? Try the SSW eligibility checker.
The short version
For SSW (i), either the JFT-Basic (A2.2, 200 or more) or the JLPT N4 or higher meets the Japanese requirement. The JFT-Basic is faster to book, shorter, and gives results the same day, with no section minimums. The JLPT N4 runs twice a year and has minimum scores per section, but carries wide recognition beyond SSW. Most candidates with a job start date in sight are better served by the JFT-Basic.