Entrance routes

Language ability required for vocational school admission

One of the following must be met to enroll in a vocational school:

1. Completed at least six months of Japanese language education at a Japanese language education institution specified by the Minister of Justice.
2. Passed N1 or N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) conducted by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services and the Japan Foundation
3. Completed at least one year of education at a Japanese elementary, junior high or high school
4. Obtained at least 200 points in the Japanese language portions (total score of the reading comprehension and the listening and listening-reading comprehension) of the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU)
5. Obtained at least 400 points in the Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJT) conducted by The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation

* Each school may also impose additional requirements.

Admission route based on Japanese ability

• Applicants lacking the language skills required for admission
  Admission via Japanese language school

  • Obtain an admission permit to a Japanese language school in your home country
  • Come to Japan
  • Learn Japanese at a Japanese language school
  • Take an admission exam for a vocational school
  • Admission
• Applicants who have the language skills required for admission
  Directly enroll in a vocational school

  • Apply to your preferred school from your home country
  • Take the vocational school’s admission exam either in Japan or online
  • Come to Japan and enroll if you pass the exam

About admission qualifications

The following conditions must be met for admission to a vocational school in Japan.
Please confirm you meet the requirements before taking a vocational school’s admission exam.

1. Completed 12 years of school education outside of Japan
2. Passed an academic ability exam equivalent to the completion of 12 years of school education outside of Japan and have reached the age of 18
3. Completed study at a school for foreigners in Japan designated as equivalent to a foreign high school
4. Completed, outside of Japan, a course designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology that is at least 11 years long
5. Hold an International Baccalaureate, German Abitur, or French Baccalaureate or achieved a certain GCE A level exam score set by each school
6. Completed a 12-year course at a school for foreigners in Japan accredited by an international evaluation organization (WASC, CIS, ACSI)
7. Passed the high school graduation certification exam and have reached the age of 18
8. Recognized via a school’s individual admission assessment as having academic ability at least equal to a high school graduate and have reached the age of 18
9. Meet any of the admission qualifications stipulated in the School Education Law, other than those listed above

* For 1 through 3, if the course was less than 12 years, it is necessary to complete the designated preparatory course or training facility course.

* Each school may also impose additional requirements.