BJT
BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test
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Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
ExploreKey terms
Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
ExploreStudy plan
Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
ExploreCase studies
Put your knowledge to work in context.
ExploreExam-day guide
Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
The BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test is a standardized exam that measures how well a non-native speaker can use Japanese to get things done at work. Rather than literary or academic Japanese, its material comes from ordinary business life: meetings, phone calls, announcements, emails, internal notices, proposals and simple figures. Employers, recruiters and training departments use the result to judge whether someone can follow instructions, reply appropriately and read the documents a workplace actually produces. It is therefore taken by people applying to Japanese companies, by staff being moved into Japanese-speaking roles, and by learners who want an external check on their progress. The exam is delivered on computer, uses multiple-choice tasks only, with no writing or speaking section, and groups its questions into listening, listening-reading and reading. Preparation works best in layers: build a base of business vocabulary and honorific usage, practise listening in long unbroken stretches so attention does not drift, then work on reading emails, notices and tables quickly. Timed practice under exam-like conditions, followed by a careful review of every wrong answer, is worth more than collecting textbooks. The test is not tied to any single employer or school, and the official body publishes current details of format, dates and scoring on its own site.
What you'll study
About BJT preparation
What does the test actually look like on screen?
You sit at a computer with headphones. Audio plays once, and answer choices appear as buttons; some tasks show a short document or chart alongside the audio, and you answer from both. There is no speaking or writing section, so everything is selected from options rather than typed.
How many questions are there, and how long does it take?
The number of questions and the total testing time are set by the administering body and can change between sessions, so they are not fixed figures you should plan around. Check the official website for the current structure before you book, and build your practice sessions around that.
Do I need to master keigo to do well?
You need to recognise and choose socially appropriate language: humble forms when speaking about your own side, respectful forms for the customer or the boss. The test rewards knowing when a phrasing is too casual, too stiff or slightly rude, more than reciting rare honorific verbs from a list.
How difficult is it compared with other Japanese exams?
It is not a literature or grammar-theory test, so candidates with solid everyday Japanese often find the vocabulary familiar. The difficulty comes from speed, from business context, and from tasks that combine listening with reading. No official equivalence to other tests is published, so compare only through sample questions.
Which section should I study first?
Start with listening, because it carries the most weight in daily business life and improves slowly. Add business vocabulary and kanji from real emails and notices next. Leave full reading practice until you can hold attention through a long audio passage, then practise reading under time pressure.
What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?
Losing your place during a long spoken passage, panicking when a word is unknown and missing the next sentence, and running short of time on reading. Others misread the question as asking for the speaker's opinion when it asks for a fact, or answer from general knowledge instead of the document.
Can I retake the test if I am unhappy with my result?
Retake rules and how long a result stays valid are set by the administering organisation and may differ by country or session. The official site is the only reliable place to confirm them, along with the registration calendar, so check there before planning a second attempt.
Does a good score guarantee a job or a visa?
No. The result is one piece of evidence that you can work in Japanese, and individual employers decide how much weight to give it. Immigration and hiring requirements are separate matters with their own rules, so confirm with the company or the relevant authority rather than relying on the certificate alone.
How should I use practice tests?
Take one early to see the task types, then save the rest. Sit each under real conditions, headphones on, no pausing, no dictionary. Afterwards, re-listen to every item you missed and write down why: unknown word, missed cue, or misread option. Fixing causes beats re-taking tests.