TOKYO - Japan’s official Specified Skilled Worker calendar listed nursing-care tests for August 5 in Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.
The Specified Skilled Worker examination calendar identifies scheduled testing dates rather than completed sessions or guaranteed seats. Prometric says dates vary by test centre, individual centres may not conduct examinations at every listed time, and seating is limited.
The computer-based route comprises a 60-minute nursing-care skills assessment with 45 questions, including 40 written and five practical, and a 30-minute Japanese-language assessment with 15 questions.
According to the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry’s examination outline, pass marks applying since April 1, 2026, are 60% for the skills test and 73% for the care-specific Japanese test.
The skills assessment covers care fundamentals, communication, the mechanisms of the mind and body, and physical care. It is offered in Japanese and several translated versions, including Burmese, Nepali, Indonesian and Vietnamese.
The care-specific Japanese assessment covers specialist terms, workplace communication and care documents and is conducted in Japanese.
Candidates generally must also pass the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese or hold Japanese-Language Proficiency Test certification at N4 or above.
Under the nursing-care SSW requirements, people who satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) in a nursing-care job category are exempt from the sector skills test. Completion in any job category can waive the general Japanese-language test, although those transferring from another field must still pass the care-specific Japanese assessment.
A calculation based on the ministry’s June test-result tables shows 6,804 skills-test applicants across the six countries listed for Aug. 5, of whom 5,401 passed, a combined rate of 79.4%. The language test recorded 6,633 applicants and 4,337 passes, or 65.4%. Skills-test pass rates ranged from 51% in Sri Lanka to 95.1% in Vietnam.
Passing the assessments does not automatically grant SSW residence status, a Certificate of Eligibility or a visa. Applications remain subject to separate immigration procedures, while overseas visa applications are examined separately by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Prometric’s test information says applicants see their result on screen after the examination, with a result notice available online within one to five business days.