# EJU Exam: Japanese University Entrance for International Students > A 2026 guide to the EJU exam for international students applying to Japanese universities: dates, subjects, fees, and how to apply. **URL:** https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/eju-exam-japanese-university-entrance-for-international-students **Last Updated:** 2026-05-24 **Tags:** resources, deepdive --- If you want to enroll in a Japanese university as an international student, the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is the test most institutions will ask you to take. It is administered by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) and is required by 479 Japanese universities, including most national universities, which is over 60% of all four-year institutions in the country. *Last updated: May 24, 2026* ## What the EJU Is and Who Needs It The EJU is a standardized entrance examination designed specifically for non-Japanese students who want to study at the undergraduate level in Japan. It is run by JASSO in cooperation with MEXT (the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the participating universities themselves. Unlike a generic proficiency test, the EJU measures both your Japanese language ability and your academic readiness in the subjects relevant to your intended major. A faculty of engineering will typically ask for Japanese as a Foreign Language, Mathematics Course 2, and Science. A humanities program will usually ask for Japanese as a Foreign Language, Mathematics Course 1, and Japan and the World. You are eligible to take the EJU regardless of your nationality, and there are no age limits and no cap on the number of times you can sit it. Scores remain valid for two years, and up to four EJU sessions can be combined when you submit your application to a university, so you can keep your best subject scores across sittings. ## 2026 Exam Dates and Application Windows JASSO administers two sessions of the EJU each year. For 2026, the dates are: | Session | Exam date | Application window | Score release (tentative) | |---|---|---|---| | 1st Session | Sunday, June 21, 2026 | February 16 to March 12, 2026 | July 28, 2026 | | 2nd Session | Sunday, November 8, 2026 | July 6 to July 30, 2026 | December 15, 2026 | Application windows close at 5:00 p.m. JST on the final day inside Japan. Overseas application windows are set by the local representative organization, so confirm the exact local deadline with your nearest test site. Examination vouchers (the document you bring to the test center) are scheduled to be mailed in Japan on May 22, 2026 for the 1st Session and October 16, 2026 for the 2nd Session. For examinees outside Japan, postal score notifications have been suspended since 2025. From 2026 onward, all overseas score reports are released only through the EJU Online portal. ## Test Subjects and Scoring The EJU is made up of four subject tests. You choose which ones to take based on what your target universities require. - Japanese as a Foreign Language: maximum 450 points total. The Reading, Listening, and Listening-Reading sections together are worth 400 points, and Writing is worth 50 points. Writing is scored on a discrete scale of 0, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 points using prescribed standards. - Science: choose two subjects from Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. - Japan and the World: a social studies test covering Japanese society, politics, economics, geography, and history. - Mathematics: offered as Course 1 (topics 1 to 7, for liberal arts and less-math science programs) or Course 2 (all topics 1 to 20, for math-heavy programs such as engineering and the physical sciences). A scheduling rule worth knowing: you cannot take both Science and Japan and the World in the same session, because they are administered in the same time slot. If your target programs require both, you will need to split them across two sittings. The Japanese as a Foreign Language test is administered only in Japanese. Every other subject can be taken in either Japanese or English, and you indicate your preferred test language at the time of application. For 2026, JASSO has issued revised syllabuses for Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics starting from the 1st Session, so download the latest syllabus from the JASSO site rather than relying on older study guides. ## Where You Can Sit the EJU Inside Japan, the EJU is held in 17 prefectures, covering most major regions: - Hokkaido, Miyagi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa - Ishikawa, Toyama, Fukui - Shizuoka, Aichi - Kyoto, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo - Okayama, Hiroshima - Kochi, Fukuoka, Okinawa Outside Japan, the EJU runs in 17 cities across 13 countries and regions: New Delhi, Jakarta, Surabaya, Seoul, Busan, Colombo, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Taipei, Manila, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Ulaanbaatar. In India, the EJU is administered by the Mombusho Scholars Association of India (MOSAI) on behalf of JASSO, and New Delhi is the only test centre in the country. If you live in a country where the EJU is not offered, you can still apply, but you must arrange an in-country proxy to handle every step (application submission, fee payment, voucher receipt) on your behalf, and you must be able to understand the test instruction language (Japanese or English). ## Fees and Payment JASSO announced examination fee increases for Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Mongolia starting from the 2026 EJU. The official fee figures are published in the 2026 EJU Bulletin rather than on the indexed English fee page, so confirm the current amount on the JASSO Examination Fee page before paying. For candidates testing inside Japan, JASSO accepts three payment methods: - Credit card (single payment only) - Bank transfer via ATM or online banking - Convenience-store payment Once payment is completed, fees are non-refundable, so do not pay until you are certain of your subject choices and test session. For overseas examinees, fees are set by the local representative organization and the accepted payment methods vary by country. Check directly with the representative listed on the JASSO overseas sites page or, in India, with MOSAI. ## Application Steps The procedure differs slightly depending on whether you apply inside or outside Japan, but the structure is the same. 1. Decide your subjects. Check the admission requirements of every university you might apply to, then pick the combination of subjects that covers all of them. Lock in your Mathematics course and your test language for non-Japanese subjects. 2. Get the 2026 EJU Bulletin. Inside Japan, it is sold at participating bookstores listed on the JASSO site. Overseas, the local representative distributes it. 3. Submit your application. Inside Japan, you can apply online through EJU Online or by mail. Overseas, follow the procedure of the local representative. 4. Pay the examination fee using one of the accepted methods. 5. Select scholarship interest if relevant. You must indicate interest in the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students at the time of EJU application. You cannot add it later. 6. Receive your examination voucher by post (in Japan) or via the local representative (overseas). 7. Sit the exam on June 21 or November 8, 2026. 8. Access scores via EJU Online. Send the scores directly to your target universities through the system or download them for paper-based applications, depending on each university's procedure. ## The MEXT Honors Scholarship Connection For self-funded international students, one of the most useful side benefits of a strong EJU score is eligibility for the Monbukagakusho Honors Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students. This MEXT-administered scholarship reserves a portion of its selection for examinees with exceptionally high EJU scores. The stipend is 48,000 yen per month and is subject to change each school year. You must select scholarship interest at the time you apply for the EJU. There is no separate application form for the scholarship at the EJU stage; selection is based on your scores. ## Common Pitfalls to Avoid - Picking the wrong Mathematics course. Course 1 will not satisfy a university that requires Course 2. If in doubt, take Course 2. - Trying to schedule Science and Japan and the World in the same session. This is not allowed. Plan across both sessions if you need both. - Missing the scholarship checkbox. The MEXT Honors Scholarship interest declaration is made at the application stage, not after results. - Assuming postal score notification still exists overseas. Since 2025, scores for overseas examinees are issued only through EJU Online. - Paying before you are certain. Fees are non-refundable. - Underestimating the Writing section. It is scored on a strict discrete scale and many universities weigh it heavily. - Forgetting the two-year score validity. If you take the EJU very early in your final year of high school, those scores may expire before you finish a gap year or a language program. ## Frequently Asked Questions Is the EJU the only entrance exam I will need? No. Most universities use EJU scores as one input and then add their own interview, essay, or subject test. A handful of programs, particularly English-taught degrees, accept SAT or A-Levels instead of the EJU, so check program by program. Do I need to be in Japan to take it? No. You can sit the EJU in any of the 17 overseas cities listed above. If you live somewhere not on that list, the proxy procedure is your alternative. How many times can I take it? There is no limit. Many applicants sit both the June and November sessions in the same year and submit their best combined scores. Up to four sessions can be used together in one university application. Can I take the whole exam in English? The Japanese as a Foreign Language section must be taken in Japanese. Everything else (Mathematics, Science, Japan and the World) can be taken in either Japanese or English. How is the EJU different from the JLPT? The JLPT is a general Japanese-language proficiency test. The EJU includes a Japanese section but also tests academic subjects, and it is the test universities actually use for admissions. Who do I contact with questions? JASSO's Student Exchange Department, Testing Division, at 4-5-29 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8503, Japan, or by email at jasso_eju@jasso.go.jp. ## Planning Your Move to Japan The EJU is the academic gate, but the rest of your move involves logistics that the test does not cover. If you are coming on a student visa, you will arrive months before classes start and need to handle housing, a residence card, health insurance, and a bank account. Read our [Apartment Hunting Checklist for Foreigners](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/apartment-hunting-checklist-for-foreigners-in-japan) before you sign a lease, and bookmark our guide to [Japanese Hospital Vocabulary and phrases](https://migaku.com/blog/japanese/japanese-hospital-vocabulary) for the inevitable clinic visit. If you are considering an alternative route into Japan before applying to university, the [Japan Working Holiday Visa eligibility](https://migaku.com/blog/language-fun/japan-working-holiday-visa-2026-eligibility-and-steps) guide outlines who qualifies. If you are preparing for the EJU's Japanese as a Foreign Language section, working with real Japanese content (news, podcasts, dramas) alongside a structured study plan is what closes the gap to 350-plus on that 450-point scale. [Migaku for Japanese](https://migaku.com/learn-japanese) turns native Japanese material into study material, which is useful when textbooks have taken you as far as they can.