JLPT guide
JLPT, JFT-Basic or NAT-Test — which do you need?
They are not alternatives. The one you need is decided by whoever is asking for it.
Three tests come up over and over for people living in Japan, and they are not alternatives to each other. They were built for different purposes, and the one you need is decided by whoever is asking for it — an employer, an immigration office, a language school — not by which one you would rather sit.
| JLPT | JFT-Basic | NAT-Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levels | N5 to N1 | One level (A2) | 5Q to 1Q, matching N5 to N1 |
| Run by | JEES and the Japan Foundation | The Japan Foundation | A private publisher |
| How often | Twice a year in Japan | Frequently, on computer | Several times a year |
| Result | Pass or fail, with section scores | Pass or fail | Pass or fail |
| Mostly used for | Employers, universities, visa points | The Specified Skilled Worker route | Language school applications |
JLPT — the one employers mean
When a job advert in Japan says "Japanese ability", it almost always means a JLPT level, and usually N2. It is the test with the longest history and the widest recognition, and it is the only one of the three that most companies and universities will name by itself.
It is also the narrowest. The JLPT does not test speaking or writing. Every question is reading or listening, and every answer is a multiple choice. That is worth knowing in both directions: it is why people pass N2 and still freeze in an interview, and it is why the exam is possible to prepare for alone.
JFT-Basic — the one the visa means
The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese exists for one purpose: it is the language requirement for the Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) status. It tests one level, roughly A2 on the European scale, which is about where N4 sits.
The part people miss is that it is not the only way in. JLPT N4 or above satisfies the same requirement. If you already hold N4, N3 or N2, you do not need JFT-Basic for this. If you do not, JFT-Basic is usually the faster route, because it runs on computer far more often than twice a year and the result arrives quickly.
Do not take JFT-Basic expecting it to impress an employer. It is a threshold, not a grade — it says you cleared A2 and nothing about how far past it you are.
NAT-Test — the one the school means
The NAT-Test is run by a private publisher and mirrors the JLPT's levels: 5Q through 1Q line up with N5 through N1. Japanese language schools commonly accept it on a student visa application, which is the whole reason it exists — it sits several times a year, so an applicant who missed the JLPT is not waiting six months for another chance.
Outside that, it carries much less weight. An employer who asked for N2 usually means N2.
So which one
| If you want… | Sit… |
|---|---|
| A job in a Japanese company | JLPT, aiming at N2 |
| The Specified Skilled Worker route | JFT-Basic, or JLPT N4 if you already have it |
| A place at a language school | NAT-Test or JLPT, whichever comes first |
| Points towards Highly Skilled Professional | JLPT, and only N2 or N1 count |
| To know where you actually are | Any of them — or a paper here, free, today |
Before you pay for any of them
All three charge a fee and all three are sat once and then waited on. Sitting a full paper under time is the cheapest way to find out whether you are close, and it costs nothing here: N5, N4, N3, N2, N1.
If you are not sure which level to enter, that has a guide of its own, and the scoring rule that fails more people than the total does is explained in how the JLPT is scored.
Fees, dates and application deadlines are left out here on purpose: they change every year, and every one of these tests publishes its own and keeps it current.