What is JFT-Basic?
The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese (JFT-Basic) measures whether a non-native speaker has enough Japanese to live and work in Japan. For students in Nepal it is the language gate on the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW / Tokutei Ginou) visa pathway.
The test is CBT — computer-based — and is delivered at Prometric test centres. There is no paper, no invigilator reading the listening script aloud, and no chance to flip back through a booklet the way you can in a school exam.
Score and pass mark
| Item | Detail | | --- | --- | | Total score | 250 points | | Pass mark | 200 points (80%) | | Duration | Approximately 60 minutes | | Level | A2 on the CEFR / JF Standard |
That 80% pass mark is what surprises most candidates. There is very little room for careless mistakes, which is why timed full-length practice matters more than casual study.
The four sections
- Script and Vocabulary (Moji to Goi) — hiragana, katakana, basic kanji and everyday vocabulary.
- Conversation and Expression (Kaiwa to Hyougen) — choosing the natural thing to say in a given situation.
- Listening Comprehension (Choukai) — native-speed audio, played once.
- Reading Comprehension (Dokkai) — notices, messages, schedules and short workplace texts.
Exam fee and registration in Nepal
The fee is set in yen (around 7,000 JPY) and payable at registration; check the current NPR equivalent when you book. Registration is done through the official Prometric site — create an account, pick Nepal and a Kathmandu test centre, choose a date, and pay online. Bring the exact photo ID you registered with.
A realistic 8-week study plan
- Weeks 1–2: Lock down hiragana, katakana and the core 400 vocabulary items. One topic-wise set daily.
- Weeks 3–4: Particles, verb forms and polite expressions. Add 20 minutes of listening every day.
- Weeks 5–6: First two full timed mock tests. Read your weak-point report and revise only what it flags.
- Weeks 7–8: One full mock every two days. Target a stable 210+ before you sit the real thing.
Practise on the real interface
Knowing Japanese and passing JFT-Basic are two different skills. Start a free full-length mock test on an interface built to match the real CBT screen, and make exam day the second time you see it — not the first.