What is EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students)?

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“What is the difference between the EJU and the JLPT?” This is a question that comes up mainly from learners who are studying at Japanese language schools as international students.

EJU refers to the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students. It is an exam aimed at individuals who wish to enroll in Japanese universities (undergraduate programs) or graduate schools as foreign students. The exam is conducted to evaluate whether foreign students possess the necessary Japanese language skills and basic academic abilities required for classes and daily life at vocational schools, universities, and graduate schools.

Since this is an exam required for advancing to university and similar institutions, it is not relevant for those working in Japan or particularly for those who are not considering further education. However, if you have children or others around you who are thinking about advancing their studies in Japan, please consider this information as a reference.

Overview of the Exam

EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) is held twice a year, in June and November. The examination fee is 10,000 yen for one subject and 19,000 yen for two or more subjects.

Applications for the exam close three months before the exam date. Please note that the application deadline is early. If the examination is to be taken in Japan, the application must be submitted online. Please check the contents at EJU Online.

The examinations are Japanese, Mathematics I and II, Science, and General Studies.

The Japanese language exam is taken only in Japanese. For exams other than Japanese, you can choose either Japanese or English.

You will take the subjects specified by the university you are applying to. Therefore, before applying for the EJU, make sure to decide on the university you will be applying to and research which subjects you need to take.

Japanese

The following is an explanation of the Japanese exam. The Japanese exam is administered in the following order: Writing (30 minutes), Reading Comprehension (40 minutes), Listening Comprehension/Listening and Reading Comprehension (55 minutes). The maximum score is 50 points for writing and 400 points for everything else, for a total of 450 points.

Writing is a handwritten essay, and Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension, and Listening-Reading Comprehension are mark-sheet based. Grammar and vocabulary are not tested. Listening and Reading Comprehension is not included in the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). In this test, you will answer questions by looking at materials while listening to audio. For the essay, you choose one of two themes and write a designated number of letters (previously, 400 letters).

Mathematics

For Mathematics, choose either I or II. Those who are applying to liberal arts departments or departments that do not require much mathematics should choose I, while those who are applying to departments that require a lot of mathematics should choose II. Please check the entrance examination guidelines of the school you wish to apply to to determine which one to choose.

Science

Science is mainly taken by those who want to go to a science department. Students choose two subjects from the three subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

General Studies

The General Studies exam is primarily for students who wish to study in the sciences or sociology. The content of the questions is designed to measure basic academic skills in the humanities, especially the ability to think and use logic. Most of the questions are related to the modern and contemporary period (19th century onward, late 1800s).

It has been announced that the content of questions in Science, General Studies, and Mathematics will change slightly starting in the first session (June) of 2026.

Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students

About half (494 schools in FY2024) of the 983 universities require the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) for their entrance examinations. About 73% of national universities and public universities, in particular, use EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students). It can be said that the EJU is a necessary exam for those who intend to apply to national universities and public universities.

The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) is also used at 77 graduate schools, including national, public, and private ones.

There are about 30 test sites in Japan, which is fewer than the number of sites for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). Overseas, there are around 13 test sites in Asia.

Application to Japanese Universities by Non-Japanese Students

For foreigners who wish to enter Japanese universities, many universities conduct entrance examinations for foreigners. The content of this examination varies from school to school. Some schools require an examination by the school and an interview in addition to the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students), and some schools require applicants to submit scores from English tests (TOEFL, TOEIC, etc.). Some schools require a minimum score of x on the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) when applying.

Some learners who wish to enter universities and other higher education institutions say, “I will decide on the school I would like to go to after I see the results of the EJU,” but this is not a recommended method. First, decide on the school you want to go to before applying for the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students).

There are two reasons for this.
1) There are two EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) sessions, one in June and the other in November, and you can submit the results of whichever is better. However, the results of the June exam will be available in late July and the November results in mid-December, so you may not be able to apply in time for the school’s entrance exam.

2) Each school has different EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) subjects, so if you do not decide on a school ahead of time, there is a possibility that you will not take the subjects you need to take or that you will take subjects you do not need.

How to study for EJU?

The EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) does not test your knowledge of the Japanese language, but rather whether or not you have the Japanese language skills to successfully complete university life at a Japanese university.

For General Studies, Science, and Mathematics, exam questions are based on the content studied in Japanese high schools, and although there are many EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) reference books and question collections available, it is recommended that you study reference books for Japanese high school students.

There are three key points to studying for the Japanese exam.
One is to know what kind of questions to expect. It is recommended that you try past papers. Past papers are released every year, so it is a good idea to try about two years’ worth.

The second is to practice reading and listening. It is important to read fast and have time to think about the answer not only in Japanese reading but in all subjects, so you should practice reading Japanese sentences fast and listening to them to understand them immediately. You should not only study with question books, but also read and listen to news and read books of various genres. For reading practice, it is recommended to read the news; you should practice reading the news on NHK or a website (about one A4 page) in about 3 to 5 minutes and summarizing what it says in a simple way.

A good way to practice listening is to listen to podcasts and radio. You can also easily listen to the radio on websites. Practice listening and understanding without relying on sight.

The third is Writing, in which you write your thoughts and opinions in your EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students). Practice writing a 400-word essay in 30 minutes using the following structure.

1) Clearly state your opinion or position
2) Write reasons for your opinion in 1)
3) Write specific examples of 1)
4) Write another opinion or point of view (write an opposing viewpoint)
5) In summary: Clarify your opinion again

It is a good idea to have your writing corrected by a native Japanese speaker. This is because mistakes in writing kanji, particles, and the use of sentence patterns often result in negative marks.

Learn at TCJ

In this issue, brief explanation about EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) was given. More and more people are entering universities and graduate schools after working for several years. When you are thinking of going on to higher education, please check what kind of examinations are available at the school you want to go to first.

Initially gathering information is the key to entering universities, graduate schools, and other schools. It is also important to study from a broader perspective than just workbooks and reference books. If you are not sure what kind of study you should do, please consult with TCJ instructors as well. No matter what you study, it is important to continue. At TCJ, we have devised a variety of ways to make it fun for you to continue studying Japanese. Please come and study with us.

Contact TCJ

References

EJU (1st Session) Examination Guide for FY2025
https://eju.tw/upload/downloadData/202501241329421vUo.pdf

JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization)
https://www.jasso.go.jp/ryugaku/eju/index.html

JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) EJU Online
https://www.jasso.go.jp/ryugaku/eju/ejuonline/index.html

Article author

Started working as a Japanese language teacher in 2001. I continue to teach Japanese because it makes me happy to see the smiles on learners' faces when they say, "I get it. I am so happy to see the smiles on the students' faces when they say, "I understand. She has been teaching mainly at Japanese language schools, from beginner to advanced level, as well as JLPT and EJU preparation, college guidance, and classroom teaching. She is currently interested in Japanese language for foreign workers, Japanese language for foreigners living in Japan, and Japanese language for the community, which she puts into practice in her daily work. She completed a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for workers commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2003, and is currently attending a training course for beginning teachers of Japanese for "foreigners as consumers" in 2023.

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