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8.4 Three-Month Study Plan and Final Review

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

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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

8.4 Three-Month Study Plan and Final Review

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

A 12-week study plan splits into Foundation (weeks 1–4), Skills (weeks 5–8), Integration (weeks 9–10), and Mock tests (weeks 11–12).

Daily practice budgets vary by starting level: N3 candidates study 60–90 minutes, N2 candidates 45–60 minutes, and N1 candidates 30–45 minutes.

Score-band targets differ: J3 (320+) needs solid keigo and general workplace vocabulary; J2 (420+) adds fast listening and chart interpretation; J1/J1+ (530+) requires inferential reading and multi-document integration.

In the final week before the test, candidates should confirm logistics, verify ID, take one timed mock at the same time of day as the real test, and review keigo tables without introducing new material.

Scores arrive about three weeks after the test through Pearson VUE, and retakes are allowed on or after the 3-month mark; using a different account to retake within 3 months voids results and suspends the account.

Last updated: July 2026

8.4 Three-Month Study Plan and Final Review

Assume test day is T minus 90 days . The plan below splits the 12 weeks into four phases that move from foundation to skills to integration to mock tests.

Phase 1 — Foundation (Weeks 1–4)

  • Focus Source Daily Time
  • Keigo system: sonkeigo, kenjougo, teineigo tables and decision drills Chapter 2 of this guide 30 min
  • Core business vocabulary: greetings, honorifics, role names, email phrases Chapter 3.1 and 3.2 30 min

The goal of Phase 1 is to make the keigo decision (尊敬語, 謙譲語, 丁寧語) automatic. Drill with short role-play prompts: 「取引先の部長が来社する. 何と言う?」 Repeat each prompt family until you no longer hesitate on verb choice.

Phase 2 — Skills (Weeks 5–8)

  • Focus Source Daily Time
  • Listening drills: Part 1 sections 1, 2, 3 sample types Chapter 4 30 min with audio
  • Reading drills: grammar and expression selection Chapter 6 30 min

Phase 2 builds the per-skill speed. Listening drills should be done with audio at full speed, not slowed down. Reading drills should be timed: aim for 60 seconds per question by the end of week 8.

Phase 3 — Integration (Weeks 9–10)

  • Focus Source Daily Time
  • Part 2 聴読解: graph, schedule, and quote reading while listening Chapter 5 45 min
  • Part 3 総合読解: email, notice, article reading with skim-locate-infer Chapter 7 45 min

Phase 3 is where candidates practice multitasking. For Part 2, practice reading the chart before the audio starts. For Part 3, practice the skim-locate-infer rhythm in 60 seconds per question.

Phase 4 — Mock Tests (Weeks 11–12)

Take two full-length timed mock tests per week and review every mistake. Rebuild weak areas immediately after identifying them; do not save the review for later in the week.

Mock 1: end of week 11, untimed review of every wrong answer.

Mock 2: beginning of week 12, timed, with focus on flagged weaknesses.

Mock 3: mid week 12, timed, with focus on pacing.

Mock 4: end of week 12, timed, at the same time of day as the real test.

Daily Practice Budget by Starting Level

  • Starting Level Daily Time Focus
  • N3 60–90 min Keigo foundation and business vocabulary
  • N2 45–60 min Listening speed and Part 3 reading accuracy
  • N1 30–45 min Part 2 multi-tasking and Part 3 comprehensive reading speed

N3-level candidates should over-invest in keigo because it appears in every part. N1-level candidates can focus on the integration parts where speed matters most.

Resources to Pair With This Guide

ExamFinch free BJT practice question bank — 114 questions covering all three parts.

Official BJT sample questions at kanken.or.jp/bjt/sample/ — three sections of free samples that mirror the real test interface.

Pearson VUE CBT demo at kanken.or.jp/bjt — practice the CBT interface so the buttons and timer do not surprise you on test day.

JLPT N2 and N1 past papers — for general listening and reading reinforcement. The BJT is harder than N1 in business contexts, but JLPT materials build baseline stamina.

Business Japanese textbooks : BJT公式問題集 (official problem book), 日本語コミュニケーション・ビジネス編 (business communication textbook).

Score-Band Target Advice

Target Band Required Skills

J3 (320–419) Solid keigo; general workplace vocabulary; ability to follow Part 1 dialogues; basic Part 3 email reading

J2 (420–529) Accurate keigo; fast listening; chart interpretation in Part 2; email and short article reading in Part 3

J1 / J1+ (530–800) Inferential reading; nuance in keigo and register; multi-document integration in Part 3; complex Part 2 audio with multiple charts

If you need J1+ for immigration under the 高度人材ポイント制 (480+ required), plan for the J1+ trajectory from week 1 — the inferential skills needed for 530+ take more than a month to develop.

Final-Week Checklist (T-7 Days)

Confirm test center address and arrival time.

Verify ID documents match registration exactly.

Take one final full-length mock at the same time of day as the real test.

Light review of keigo tables and grammar patterns. No new material.

Sleep 7+ hours per night; avoid alcohol; eat a light meal before the test.

Pack a sweater and your confirmation printout the night before.

Test-Day Checklist

Arrive 30 minutes early.

Two forms of ID (primary photo ID + secondary ID).

Pearson VUE confirmation email and appointment number.

Sweater or light jacket.

Comfortable clothing in layers.

Water bottle only if the center permits it (most do not allow it in the test room).

After the Test

Scores are sent approximately three weeks after the test date through Pearson VUE.

A printable score certificate is available once scores are released.

The six BJT levels (J5, J4, J3, J2, J1, J1+) and the IRT-scaled 0–800 score are reported together.

Retake is allowed on or after the 3-month mark from your test date. For example, if you test on April 1, the next available test date is July 1 or later.

Absentees must also wait 3 months before retaking.

Using a different account to retake within 3 months voids the results and suspends the account .

Three-Month Retake Plan

If your score is below your target, identify the weakest part from the reported sub-scores (if available) and rebuild that area:

Part 1 weak : rebuild listening stamina and phonetic discrimination using official samples and JLPT N1 listening drills.

Part 2 weak : rebuild chart-reading speed and pre-reading skills; practice with two-chart documents.

Part 3 weak : rebuild skim-locate-infer speed and trap recognition; drill keigo and polarity-flip patterns.

A structured plan is the single best predictor of BJT success. The exam tests breadth of business Japanese under time pressure, and only a phased plan that moves from foundation to integration to timed mocks can deliver that breadth in 90 days.