BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test

FAQ

BJT FAQ

About the JLRT

Q. Where are the test sites?: A. Please indicate on the application form your desired site. You will receive final notification along with your examination voucher.
Q. Can I change the test site?: A. The test site cannot be changed after you have applied.
Q. I sent in my application form but I am concerned about whether it was received or not.: A. If you have sent in your application form and paid the test fee, you will receive your examination voucher one week before the test date. This voucher is official confirmation that all application procedures have been completed. Please contact the BJT Secretariat if you do not receive this voucher by that time.
Q. Is the test fee refundable if, for some reason, I cannot take the test?: A. The test fee is non-refundable and non-transferable to another test date when the applicant is absent or unable to take the test for any reason.
Q. May I take a look at past test questions?: A. Past test problems are not made public. To see what type of questions will appear and to get a sense of the test's difficulty, please refer to the Sample Questions or to the Official Test Guide with CD that is available for purchase.
Q. Is there a test syllabus I can to study for the test?: A. The BJT measures how well a person understands and uses Japanese for business, rather than simply measuring their knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, etc. Since the test includes a wide range of basic business communication, there is no syllabus or specific book to study when preparing for the test.
Q. I was confident of my ability of Japanese, but the percentage of my scores of the BJT was only 56%. I am shocked that I got the lower scores than I had expected...only 450 points. What are the average points?: A. According to the data of the 13th BJT held in June 2006, the average points of examinees who took the test in Japan and in foreign counties were 485.5 and 388.1 points, respectively. And as for the examinees' distribution, the examinees who got 530 points or higher (J1) were only 10% or so of all examinees. The scores of 530 is 65% of the full points, and you may think that the score is not so high, but you can take that examinees who got 530 points or higher are proficient in Japanese. From the point view of percentage of 800 full points, 65% seems to be low, but you should refer to the level image. Companies and universities/colleges actually make use of the BJT for various fields, including employment, training target, requirements for credit qualification, and requirements for subsidies, setting about 400 to 530 points as a standard score.

About textbooks and schools

Q. Are there any textbooks or practice tests available?: A. You may purchase the JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test Official Guide with a CD containing listening comprehension practice questions. This will give you an idea of the difficulty and familiarize you with the type of questions asked.
Q. Does JETRO operate a business Japanese school or offer any related courses?: A. No, we do not and we do not have any plans to do so in the future.
Q. What kind of studies have the past successful test takers done to prepare for the BJT?: A. In response to many requests for suggestions on how to prepare for the test, we interviewed individuals who have achieved high scores of the JLRT (first half of BJT) and received an A on the JOCT. Please see the interview details for your reference.

Miscellaneous

Q. I lost my copy of the test results. Can I get another copy?: A. The score certificate will be issued for payment of certain amount.
The certificate will be issued for three years after the test date.
If you request issue of a score certificate, please follow the issue procedures. The issue fee is 1,000 yen per score certificate, including tax.
Q. How do examinees utilize the BJT?: A. We interviewed people who actually had taken the BJT (JLRT).
You can take the interviews as your information.
Q. How do companies and high schools make use of the BJT?: A. Companies make use of the BJT for the criteria of employment, promotion and increasing wages or training target and other purposes, and universities and vocational-technical schools do for the criteria of giving credits or getting job supports through paying the test fee. See case examples of the BJT use for details.