How we research, write, verify and correct

Our sources

Official sources only. For the test itself (sections, timing, the 10–250 scale, the level bands, results and retakes) we use the Japan Foundation's JFT-Basic site, its FAQ and its Document Describing the Test. For fees, ID, booking and test-day rules we use Prometric, which delivers the test. For visas we use the official Specified Skilled Worker portal (ssw.go.jp), the Immigration Services Agency of Japan and Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For study material we use the Irodori site, and for the JLPT we use jlpt.jp.

Other sites are leads, not evidence. If a claim appears only on a prep site, a forum, a video or an agent's page, we don't publish it as fact. If readers need to know it is being said, we say that it is unconfirmed.

Numbers live in one place. Test numbers such as the 60 minutes, the 200 line for SSW (i), the 45-day retake wait and the fees by country are kept in a single data file that every page reads, so one correction updates the whole site. Each guide lists the sources it relies on.

Verification dates

Every guide and article shows a last verified date: the day the editorial team checked each fact against its source. It is separate from the published and updated dates. We only move it when we have actually re-checked the facts, not when we fix a typo.

We re-check fee and schedule pages at every new Prometric booking period, evergreen guides at least every quarter, and anything affected by an official change as soon as we see it.

Dates are always written in full (for example, 30 October 2026). We don't write "recently" or "this year", because pages are read long after they are written. If an official page cannot be reached, or does not state something candidates ask about, we say that instead of filling the gap.

How practice questions are written and reviewed

Every practice question is original. We model the question type the Japan Foundation describes, then write a new scene with new characters and wording. We never copy, translate or lightly edit official sample questions, Irodori material or another publisher's items, and we never collect or publish questions from real tests.

Items follow a written blueprint: the four sections in the official order, the official question categories, daily-life situations rather than job-specific jargon, one clearly correct answer, and wrong options that are wrong for a reason a teacher could point to. Each item carries an explanation and, for listening, the full script.

Before publishing, an automated checker validates the format (option counts, answer balance, ids, missing explanations) and an editor reviews each item for accuracy, natural Japanese and fairness. Items that readers report as unclear are reviewed again and fixed or removed.

Score estimates

The official JFT-Basic score is scaled through a statistical process the Japan Foundation does not publish, so no outside site can reproduce it. Our scores convert your percentage of correct answers to the 10–250 scale with our own curve and show the matching band. They are estimates, labelled as such everywhere they appear, and they are not a guarantee of any official result.

We never present an estimate, an average or a "pass rate" as if it came from the Japan Foundation.

Official changes

When the Japan Foundation, Prometric or the Japanese government announces a change, such as the A1 and A2.1 bands reported since August 2026 or new SSW fields, we update the affected pages and the data file and say from which date the change applies. Announced but not yet effective changes are labelled with their start date.

If a change is reported elsewhere but not on an official page, we treat it as unconfirmed.

Corrections

If we get a fact wrong, we fix it as soon as we have checked the official source, update the page's verified date and, for material errors (a wrong fee, rule, date or score), add an entry to the corrections log below.

Anyone can report an error. Send the page link and, if you have it, the official page that shows the right information. We reply to every report.

Corrections log

No material corrections have been logged as of October 30, 2026.

Authors and independence

Content is published under the JFT Prep editorial team. We don't invent authors, reviewers, testimonials or credentials. If we add a named reviewer, they will be a real person with a profile page.

JFT Prep is independent. We are not affiliated with the Japan Foundation, Prometric or any Japanese government body, and we don't accept payment to change what a guide says. Paid plans fund the site; they never buy different facts.