JFT-Basic vs JLPT N4: an honest comparison for SSW candidates

The short answer

For the Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa, Japan accepts either test as proof of Japanese:

• JFT-Basic with a total score of 200 or more (level A2.2, shown as A2), or
• JLPT N4 or higher.

The official SSW portal lists both, and Prometric's JFT-Basic page states that JLPT N4 or higher exempts you from JFT-Basic for SSW. Neither is "better" for the visa. The difference is in how, when and how often you can take them, and what else the certificate is good for.

Side by side

Format: what each test feels like

JFT-Basic is short and practical. You sit at a computer with headphones, and the questions are built around situations a worker meets in Japan: reading a notice at work, understanding a shop announcement, replying politely to a colleague. There is one 60-minute clock for all four sections. Inside a section you can change answers, but you cannot go back to an earlier section, and in Listening you cannot move between questions. Each audio clip plays up to 2 times. Our test format guide covers each section.

JLPT N4 is a longer paper test. The Japan Foundation describes N4 as "the ability to understand basic Japanese": reading passages on familiar daily topics in basic vocabulary and kanji, and following everyday conversations spoken slowly. It has more questions on vocabulary and grammar forms, and you work through three timed parts in a hall with many other candidates.

The 200 line vs passing N4

The two tests judge "enough Japanese" differently.

JFT-Basic gives one total score from 10 to 250. It is a scaled score, not a count of right answers, and the level is judged on the total of all four sections. There is no minimum per section, so a strong Reading score can make up for a weak Listening score.

JLPT N4 has a pass mark of 90 out of 180, but you also need 38 out of 120 in Language Knowledge and Reading and 19 out of 60 in Listening. Fail one sectional minimum and you fail, even with 90 overall. If listening is your weak skill, this matters.

Frequency and speed: the biggest practical difference

This is where JFT-Basic usually wins for SSW candidates.

• JFT-Basic runs in test periods of about six weeks, with sessions on many days. You see your score the moment you finish. If you score 199 or lower, you can sit again after 45 days. In a year, a determined candidate can try several times. See test dates and booking windows.
• JLPT N4 runs at most twice a year, and some overseas cities hold it only once. Results take about two months. A failed July test means waiting until December, with results in early the next year.

If a job offer or a training-programme intake depends on your Japanese result, JFT-Basic can save you six months or more.

Cost

Both fees are set locally, so compare in your own currency. JFT-Basic fees are fixed by Prometric per country, for example USD 36 in Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia, PHP 2,010 in the Philippines and IDR 550,000 in Indonesia (see the full fee table). JLPT fees are set by each local host institution and differ by city. Ask your local JLPT host for the current fee.

Remember the hidden cost of each: a failed JFT-Basic is another fee after 45 days; a failed JLPT is another fee and up to six months of waiting.

Difficulty: which is harder?

Neither the Japan Foundation nor the JLPT publishes an official difficulty comparison, and JFT-Basic 200 is not officially "equal to" N4. What we can say from the published formats:

• JFT-Basic may suit you if you learned Japanese through conversation and daily-life situations (for example with the Irodori coursebook), you are good at listening, and you want to use the whole score to balance strengths and weaknesses.
• JLPT N4 may suit you if you studied from a grammar-and-vocabulary textbook, you are strong at reading kanji, and you are comfortable with a longer test.
• Both need about the same core: hiragana and katakana, a few hundred kanji in common words, everyday vocabulary and the basic verb forms. Our vocabulary and kanji guide covers what to learn.

Which should you take for SSW?

Choose JFT-Basic if:

• you need a result soon (a job interview, a visa timeline, a training programme intake);
• you want to retry quickly if the first attempt falls short;
• your learning was based on daily-life Japanese.

Choose JLPT N4 (or higher) if:

• you already have an N4 certificate (then you don't need JFT-Basic at all);
• you also want a certificate known outside the SSW system, for schools or other employers;
• the next July or December session fits your timeline.

Two special cases:

• Nursing care needs JFT-Basic 200 or JLPT N4, plus the Care Japanese Language Evaluation Test. See the SSW visa guide.
• Bus and taxi drivers and railway transport staff need a higher level. The SSW portal lists JLPT N3. The Immigration Services Agency says the standard becomes "B1 equivalent or higher" for Certificate of Eligibility applications from 1 April 2027. JFT-Basic's top band is A2, so it does not meet this standard.

Our recommendation

For most people heading to Japan on SSW (i), JFT-Basic is the practical choice: frequent dates, same-day scores and a quick retake. Take the JLPT later if you want to prove a higher level, for example N3 for career moves or SSW (ii) later on.

Before you book either, find out where you stand. Our free 12-question practice test takes about 15 minutes and uses the JFT-Basic format.