Universities (undergraduate level)

To enter a Japanese university, a student must pass the university entrance examination. Most universities are adopting a special process for selecting international students, but in most cases they still require applicants to take an examination in Japan. About 70 faculties accept applications directly from outside Japan, 30 universities carry out entrance examinations in some areas outside Japan and 20 universities grant permission to enter based on documentation review only. Only a few universities accept foreign applicants on the basis of their documents alone. Many universities base their selection decisions on:

(a) the Japanese Language Proficiency Test
(b) the General Examination for Foreign Students

From 2002, however, EJU will adopt a new standard and take the place of the above two examinations.

What is EJU ?

Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU)

The EJU is a new examination starting from 2002 and will be used as a part of the entrance examination for international students wishing to study at Japanese universities and other higher educational institutions. This examination will be held twice annually in June and November and will be administered in Japan as well as in about 10 cities outside Japan mainly in the Asian regions. The examination subjects for liberal arts students consists of Japanese as a Foreign Language, general knowledge and mathematics; while subjects for natural science students are Japanese as a Foreign Language, science and mathematics. The examination questions are available in both Japanese and English. Applicants will take the examination based on the designated subjects and exam language required by each university and other higher educational institutions respectively.


For further information about the "EJU": Contact Testing
Division, Association of International Education,
Japan (AIEJ) TEL: 81-3-5454-5338

Other Information

Examination of the National Center for University Entrance
Japanese students who wish to enter a national or local public university and some private universities are obliged to take the examination of the National Center for University Entrance. Most universities exempt international students from this test, but some universities, mainly medicine, dentistry, and education departments, may require international students to take it.

Other methods of selection for international students
Other methods used by universities to select international students include document selection, scholastic ability tests, interviews, a short paper or essay, and aptitude tests. University departments differ in their methods of selection. As for the examination date and subjects of each university, see the "Guide to University Entrance for Privately Financed International Students", published in Japanese in late September every year by AIEJ, or contact directly to the university.