ExamFinch.com My Study

Study guide

1.2 Test Structure, Scoring, and Levels (J5–J1+)

Practice this exam

BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test BJTビジネス日本語能力テスト

Track your progress as you read

Finished sections get a check mark.

1 Introduction & Exam Overview

1.1 About the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test 1.2 Test Structure, Scoring, and Levels (J5–J1+) 1.3 How to Use This Study Guide

2 Keigo Foundation: The Honorific System

2.1 The Three Keigo Categories: Sonkeigo, Kenjougo, Teineigo 2.2 Sonkeigo (Respectful Language) — Forms and Use 2.3 Kenjougo (Humble Language) — Forms and Use 2.4 Teineigo (Polite Language) and Business Set Phrases

3 Business Vocabulary and Grammar

3.1 Core Business Vocabulary: 役職, 部署, 会社生活 3.2 Honorific Prefixes お/ご, Counters, and Suffixes 3.3 Key Grammar Patterns for Business (～てまで, ～による, ～かねる, ～次第, ～際) 3.4 Fixed Business Expressions and Email Formulae (頭語, 結語, クッション言葉)

4 Part 1: Listening Comprehension (聴解)

4.1 場面把握問題: Photo Scene Comprehension 4.2 発言聴解問題: Keigo Greetings and Replies 4.3 総合聴解問題: Workplace Dialogues and Meetings 4.4 Listening for Numbers, Dates, and Decisions — Traps and Strategies

5 Part 2: Listening & Reading Comprehension (聴読解)

5.1 状況把握問題: Situation Comprehension (Photo + Audio) 5.2 資料聴読解問題: Graphs, Charts, and Tables 5.3 資料聴読解問題: Schedules, Advertisements, and Quotations 5.4 総合聴読解問題: Long Document/Audio Pairs and Time Management

6 Part 3 Reading: Vocabulary, Grammar, and Expressions

6.1 語彙・文法: Vocabulary in Context 6.2 語彙・文法: Grammar in Business Sentences 6.3 表現読解: Choosing the Right Honorific Form 6.4 表現読解: Business Set Phrases in Writing

7 Part 3 Reading: Comprehensive Reading

7.1 総合読解: Business Emails 7.2 総合読解: Internal Notices, Memos, and Meeting Minutes 7.3 総合読解: Reports and News Articles 7.4 Reading Strategy: Skim, Locate, Infer

8 Test-Day Strategy and Final Review

8.1 CBT Test-Day Logistics, ID, and NDA 8.2 Pacing Across the Three Parts 8.3 Common Traps and Distractor Patterns 8.4 Three-Month Study Plan and Final Review

1.2 Test Structure, Scoring, and Levels (J5–J1+)

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

The BJT is 80 four-option multiple-choice questions split into three parts: Listening (~45 min, ~35%), Listening & Reading (~30 min, ~25%), and Reading (30 min, ~40%).

Scoring uses Item Response Theory, not 1 point per question; the resulting ability estimate is converted to a 0–800 scaled score.

Six levels are reported: J5 (0–199), J4 (200–319), J3 (320–419), J2 (420–529), J1 (530–599), and J1+ (600–800), with no pass/fail cut.

A 3-month wait is required between BJT attempts — for example, test April 1, next attempt on or after July 1.

Two forms of ID with matching names are required on test day, plus a non-disclosure agreement before the test begins and a roughly 10-minute post-test questionnaire.

Last updated: July 2026

1.2 Test Structure, Scoring, and Levels (J5–J1+)

Quick Answer: The BJT is a single roughly 105-minute CBT with 80 four-option multiple-choice questions, split into three parts: Listening (聴解, ~45 min, ~35%), Listening & Reading (聴読解, ~30 min, ~25%), and Reading (読解, 30 min, ~40%). There is no pass/fail; you receive an IRT-scaled score from 0–800 mapped to six levels J5 (0–199) through J1+ (600–800). A 3-month wait is required between attempts.

Test Format at a Glance

  • Item Detail
  • Delivery Computer-based test (CBT) through Pearson VUE, year-round
  • Total questions 80 four-option multiple-choice
  • Total test time ~105 minutes, plus ~10 minutes post-test questionnaire
  • Speaking/writing None — all items are four-option multiple choice
  • Scoring IRT-scaled 0–800, six levels (J5–J1+), no pass/fail
  • Fee (Japan, 2026) ~JPY 8,000 including tax (international fees vary)
  • The Three Parts

The BJT is divided into three parts with fixed time limits and approximate score weights:

Part Japanese name Time limit Approx. weight What it tests

Part 1 聴解 (Listening Comprehension) ~45 minutes ~35% Workplace dialogues: phone, meetings, customer service, negotiations

Part 2 聴読解 (Listening & Reading Comprehension) ~30 minutes ~25% Listening while reading graphs, tables, schedules, advertisements, quotations

Part 3 読解 (Reading Comprehension) 30 minutes ~40% Business emails, internal documents, notices, meeting minutes, reports, news articles

All 80 questions are multiple choice with four options . There are no essay, short-answer, or oral-production items anywhere on the test.

IRT Scoring — Not One Point Per Question

A common misconception is that the BJT is scored as 1 point per correct answer, for a maximum of 80. It is not. The BJT uses Item Response Theory (IRT) scaling: each item is statistically weighted by its difficulty and discrimination, and the resulting ability estimate is converted to a 0–800 scaled score . A test-taker who answers fewer but harder items correctly can outscore one who answers more but easier items correctly. The scaled score is what maps to a level (J5–J1+); raw counts are never reported.

The practical implication: do not try to count correct answers during the test . There is no reliable raw-count-to-scaled-score conversion you can do in your head, and trying will only burn time. Mark your best answer on every question and move on.

Six Levels, No Pass/Fail

The BJT reports a level alongside the scaled score. There is no passing or failing — only a placement on the ladder:

  • Level Scaled score band Interpretation
  • J5 0–199 Lowest — limited ability to communicate in business Japanese
  • J4 200–319 Can handle a narrow range of predictable business situations
  • J3 320–419 Can manage basic business communication with some support
  • J2 420–529 Can handle general business communication in Japanese
  • J1 530–599 Can handle a wide range of business communication accurately
  • J1+ 600–800 Highest — sophisticated, fluent business communication in diverse situations

A BJT score is a snapshot — it never expires as a credential, though employers and immigration authorities may ask for a recent score (typically within about 2 years) for their own purposes.

Immigration and Visa Reference Bands

Two government reference bands are worth memorizing precisely:

480+ is the band referenced by Japan's immigration authority (出入国在留管理庁) for Japanese-language points under the highly skilled foreign professional (高度人材ポイント制) category.

400+ is the band referenced for the 留学 (student) visa Japanese-language ability requirement.

Again, these are immigration references, not BJT pass marks — the BJT itself has no pass/fail cut.

BJT vs JLPT at a Glance

  • Dimension JLPT BJT
  • Focus General Japanese Business Japanese
  • Levels N5–N1 (5 levels) J5–J1+ (6 levels)
  • Result Pass/fail Scaled score 0–800 + level
  • Format Listening + reading, paper/CBT 3-part CBT: listening, listening/reading, reading
  • Production tasks None None
  • Scoring model Raw score cut per level IRT-scaled 0–800
  • Typical N1 passer on BJT — 300–700
  • Retake Rule

You must wait 3 months between BJT attempts. Concretely: if you sit the test on April 1, the earliest you can sit again is July 1 (90 days later). Plan your preparation and scheduling around this constraint — there is no fast retry path, so a poor first attempt will cost you a full quarter before you can re-test.

Test-Day Logistics

Two forms of ID required : a primary government-issued photo ID and a secondary ID showing name/signature or name/photo. Names must match exactly across documents and your registration — mismatch is the most common cause of denied entry.

NDA : you must accept a non-disclosure agreement before the test begins. Item content is confidential; you may not reproduce or discuss specific questions.

Post-test questionnaire : ~10 minutes of optional questions after the scored portion. Plan for it when booking return travel.

  • Official Resources
  • BJT official site — Specifications, sample questions, level descriptors
  • Pearson VUE BJT — Registration and scheduling
  • Immigration Services Agency of Japan — Visa point references