EJU Science
Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) - Science
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is administered by JASSO, the Japan Student Services Organization, and is used by Japanese universities and other schools when they admit international students. Science is one of the subjects listed alongside Japanese as a Foreign Language, Japan and the World, and Mathematics. Inside Science, JASSO publishes three separate syllabuses - Physics, Chemistry and Biology - each defining the scope of what may be examined. Revised Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics syllabuses apply to the questions of the 2026 EJU 1st Session, so study material built on the older Science content is out of date and should be replaced before you begin. A workable preparation cycle is: read the current syllabus for the areas you will answer, map your textbook chapters onto its topic headings, close the gaps it reveals, then work JASSO's published past question booklets under timed conditions and log every error by syllabus topic. Before fixing a schedule, confirm examination time, answering method and subject requirements in the Guidelines for EJU. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by JASSO.
What you'll study
About EJU Science preparation
What does the EJU Science subject actually cover?
Science is examined through three separate JASSO syllabuses: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Each syllabus sets out the topics and the depth expected, so the syllabus - not a commercial textbook's table of contents - is the boundary of what can be asked. Use the Guidelines for EJU to confirm how many areas you must answer.
Which syllabus version will I be tested on?
The revised Science syllabus applies to the questions of the 2026 EJU 1st Session. Anything you find online that predates that revision is describing content that is no longer in force, so check the date on any study guide, summary sheet or topic list before you rely on it.
How many questions are there, and how long is the paper?
Those figures are not given in the syllabus listings; they are set out in JASSO's Guidelines for EJU and on its Examination Subjects and Examination Time pages. Read those pages directly before you build a timing plan, and do not rely on question counts quoted in older prep books.
Is there a pass mark I need to clear?
The JASSO pages covering the syllabus do not give a pass mark or a minimum Science score. Admission decisions rest with each university, which sets its own acceptance level and minimum required scores, including for pre-arrival admission. Check the requirements of the specific schools and departments you are applying to.
Can I sit the exam more than once?
JASSO runs the EJU in a 1st and a 2nd session each year, and publishes separate venue lists for each. The rules on repeating the exam, and how multiple results are handled, sit in the Guidelines for EJU rather than in the syllabus pages, so confirm them there before planning a second attempt.
In what order should I study the Science areas?
Start from the syllabus lists, not from chapter one of a textbook. Write out the topic headings for the areas you will answer, mark which ones you can already handle, and attack the weakest blocks first while your schedule still has slack. Reserve the final weeks for full past papers under time pressure.
What are the most common ways candidates lose marks?
Three recur. First, revising from pre-revision Science material whose scope no longer matches the syllabus. Second, misreading which areas or how many questions must be answered, so time is spent on the wrong sections. Third, doing past papers for volume only, without tracing each mistake back to a syllabus topic.
Where do I get authentic past papers?
JASSO publishes past exam question booklets on its EJU site, with sessions listed back to the 2011 1st session. Use them after you have covered the syllabus topics, and treat each paper as a diagnostic: record the topic of every wrong answer, then revise those topics before attempting the next paper.