EJU

It evaluates whether international students who wish to study at the undergraduate level at universities or other such higher educational institutions in Japan possess the Japanese language skills and basic academic abilities needed to study there. Universities and other schools then use EJU scores in their own admission processes, so requirements differ by school.

The exam covers Japanese as a Foreign Language, Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics. Science is broken into physics, chemistry, and biology syllabuses. Which subjects you actually sit depends on the requirements of the universities you apply to, so check each school's list before choosing.

The exam is administered in two sessions each year, a 1st Session and a 2nd Session. JASSO publishes examination venues in Japan and outside Japan separately for each session, and also posts session-specific notices such as examination voucher mailing and venue updates, so confirm the dates and venue for the session you plan to take.

Yes. JASSO has issued a notice on revised syllabuses for the EJU's basic academic abilities tests, covering Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics. The revised syllabuses are to be applied to the questions of the 2026 EJU 1st Session. Study from the current published syllabus for each subject rather than older prep material.

The EJU is administered in Japanese, and an English examination language option exists for the basic academic abilities tests. Japanese as a Foreign Language is, by its nature, taken in Japanese. Check the application guidance for the subject combination you plan to take so you select the correct examination language.

JASSO publishes past exam questions and question booklets on its EJU pages, with sessions listed back to 2011. For some recent sessions, the Japanese and Japan and the World papers are noted as in preparation. Use the published booklets for timed practice, and rely on the official syllabus to judge which topics are in scope.

Start by confirming which subjects your target universities require, then read the official syllabus for each one so you know the scope. Build Japanese vocabulary and reading speed early, since the Japanese paper underpins study in every other subject, and reserve later weeks for full-length timed practice under exam conditions.

Yes. JASSO lists examination venues outside Japan for each session, alongside venues in Japan, and there is an overseas representatives network in Asia. Application procedures differ depending on whether you apply to take the exam in Japan or outside Japan, and separate guidance covers each case.

Three recur badly: preparing from an outdated syllabus instead of the current published one, ignoring the subject and language requirements of the specific universities you are applying to, and practising without time pressure. Also confirm your examination voucher and venue details for your session, since JASSO posts updates and cautions for examinees before each exam.