JFT-Basic

The Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese is an A2-level test of everyday Japanese, taken mainly by people heading to Japan for work under the Specified Skilled Worker (特定技能) visa. It checks whether you can handle daily life and basic conversation. Its level overlaps JLPT N5 and lower N4, so everything below is study material you can start today, free and tracked.

Level

Sections

Time

~60 min

Pass

200/250

The four sections

Script & Vocabulary 文字と語彙 Kanji readings and everyday vocabulary.

Conversation & Expression 会話と表現 The grammar and set phrases of real conversations.

Listening 聴解 Short dialogues and announcements you'd hear day to day.

Reading 読解 Signs, notices, messages, and short passages.

It's a computer-based test (CBT) at official test centres. A score at or above 200 of 250 means you've reached the A2 level needed for the work visa. (Not affiliated with the Japan Foundation.)

Not sure this is your level? Take the 2-minute level test →

Your study path

Kana Hiragana and katakana with a memory hook for each, the foundation for everything else. Start with kana → Kanji 245 basic kanji (N5 + N4) with readings and examples, pre-filtered on the map. Open the map → Vocabulary 1,280 everyday and work words by category, with readings and romaji. Build vocabulary → Grammar 171 patterns with plain-English explanations and two examples each. Study patterns → Conversation & Expression What to actually say in real situations: shopping, the doctor, calling work to be late. Phrasebook + a drill in the JFT format. Learn what to say → Reading Graded passages with furigana and tappable words, then comprehension questions. Read and check → Listening Graded dialogues and announcements with questions, a big part of the JFT-Basic. Train your ears → Scenario lessons 76 real-life lessons: ordering food, the konbini, the station, the workplace. Read lessons → Mock test A full 4-section timed practice exam, scored out of 250 (pass 200), with a weak-area breakdown. Take the mock →

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