JLPT vs BJT scoring: how do you pass BJT with no pass mark?
BJT has no pass mark and no section minimum, unlike the JLPT. Where the points come from on each test, and four JLPT habits that change on BJT test day.
Short answer
The BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test has no pass mark: you get a score from 0 to 800, so passing BJT means reaching the score that an immigration rule or an employer asks for, such as 400. Unlike JLPT N2, where each of the three sections needs at least 19 of 60, BJT has no section minimum, so points from any part add to one score. Two things change on test day: in Parts 1 and 2 you cannot go back to a question, and there is no break in about two hours, including instructions.
There is no pass mark on BJT
BJT has no pass mark: you get a score from 0 to 800 and a level from J5 to J1+, not pass or fail. Its full name is the BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test (BJTビジネス日本語能力テスト). It is run by the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation (Kanken) and taken on a computer at Pearson VUE test centres. To the question "What score do I need to achieve to pass the test?", Kanken's FAQ answers that the BJT "does not use a pass/fail evaluation system" (checked 13 November 2026).
So "passing BJT" means reaching the score that a rule or an employer asks for. Several Japanese immigration rules accept BJT 400 in place of N2 of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT): the Highly Skilled Professional points system gives the same 10 points for N2 or BJT 400 or more, and the Business Manager rule accepts either for the applicant or a full-time employee (Immigration Services Agency of Japan, ISA, checked 13 November 2026). Each rule has its own limits, explained in which Japanese tests count for Japan visas. What else each result opens, from study to employers, is in is BJT better than JLPT.
A score of 400 is in the upper part of level J3 (320–419). What each level means is in what your BJT score means.
The JLPT works the other way. It is run by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES); you sit one level, N1 to N5, and you pass or fail it. For N2 you need 90 of 180 overall and at least 19 of 60 in each of the three sections. One section below 19 means a fail, however high your total is (JLPT scoring page, checked 13 November 2026).
Where the points come from
On JLPT N2 your points come from three sections, each scored and checked on its own; on BJT every answer goes into one score from 0 to 800. How each test decides its result, with the pass marks, is in the BJT vs JLPT comparison.
| JLPT N2 | BJT | |
|---|---|---|
| What is scored | JLPT N2: Three sections, 0–60 each; total 0–180 | BJT: One total, 0–800; for each part a rank, not a score |
| Questions per unit | JLPT N2: Current numbers not published | BJT: 25, 25 and 30 in the three parts |
| What a part shows | JLPT N2: Its own score out of 60 | BJT: A rank from 1 to 7 against past test takers |
| Retaking part of it | JLPT N2: Not possible: all sections each time | BJT: Not applicable: one sitting gives one score |
The part rank compares you with past test takers: 7 means the top 5%, and 1 means the bottom 20%. The nine question types inside the three parts are explained in BJT test format.
JLPT habits that change on BJT
Four habits from JLPT N2 work differently on BJT. Some of them are about the test day rather than your Japanese.
| JLPT habit | On the JLPT | On BJT |
|---|---|---|
| Bring every section up to the minimum | JLPT: N2 needs 19 of 60 in each section | BJT: No minimum; your strongest part adds to the same score |
| Go back to a skipped question | JLPT: Not stated on the JLPT pages we checked | BJT: Not in Parts 1–2: they follow the audio. Allowed in Part 3 within its time |
| Use the time between sections | JLPT: The December 2026 timetable has a 30-minute gap before listening | BJT: No break in about two hours, including instructions |
| Pace yourself per section | JLPT: N2 gives 105 minutes for language knowledge and reading together | BJT: Parts 1–2 follow the audio; Part 3: 30 questions in 30 minutes |
For N2 in Japan, the December 2026 timetable runs 9:10–11:15 for language knowledge and reading and 11:45–12:50 for listening, and JEES says these times include instructions. On BJT the three parts are about 45 minutes of listening, about 30 minutes of listening and reading, and 30 minutes of reading.
On BJT, points from any part count. On the JLPT, one weak section can fail you.
What to focus on for more points
For more BJT points, practise for the way the test runs as well as for the Japanese in it.
- Answer at the speed of the audio. In Parts 1 and 2 you move on with the audio and cannot go back to a question, so practise choosing your answer as you listen.
- Choose and move on. In Parts 1 and 2 a question you leave for later does not come back, so mark an answer before the next one starts.
- Leave time to check in Part 3. Reading is 30 questions in 30 minutes, and it is the only part where you can go back to an earlier question within its time.
- Practise the whole test in one sitting. BJT takes about two hours, including instructions, with no break, so sit full mock tests from start to end without stopping.
- Read your part ranks. The rank for each part on your certificate shows where you lose points. You can sit BJT again 3 months after a test, so study that part in between.
Our founder writes that she understood spoken Japanese well and could quickly find the part of a text that answered the question; on the questions where you pick the right kanji or grammar form, she "probably made mistakes, but my other answers carried me" (her BJT and JLPT N2 comparison). Her result is her own. Which JLPT N2 skills carry over to BJT, and which official books to use, is in studying for BJT vs JLPT. A week-by-week plan is in how to prepare for BJT in four weeks, and what she found hard is in is BJT hard?.
What the official pages say, and what some sites say. Some sites say a BJT score of 480 or more puts you in J1+. Kanken's levels page puts 480 in J2 (420–529), and J1+ starts at 600. Some sites also say BJT scores arrive about three weeks after the test. Kanken says you receive a paper score report as you leave the test centre and can print the score certificate three days after the test; more in when you get your BJT result. Facts checked against Kanken, JLPT, JEES and ISA pages on 13 November 2026.
Questions people ask
How will my BJT score be calculated?
Kanken's FAQ says BJT scores are calculated from the raw scores with item response theory (IRT), using a conversion that reflects the difficulty of each question instead of giving the same score to each correct answer. The JLPT also uses scaled scores based on item response theory and does not add up points for correct answers, its FAQ says.
Can I go back to a previous question during the BJT?
Not in Part 1 (listening) or Part 2 (listening and reading): you move on with the audio, so you cannot go back to review or correct an answer. In Part 3 (reading) Kanken's FAQ says you can go back and check an earlier question within its 30 minutes.
Can I retake only one JLPT section if I miss its minimum?
No. The JLPT FAQ says pass or fail is decided only for people who take all sections each time, so you sit the whole level again at a later session (in Japan, July or December). BJT has no section minimum: one sitting gives one score, and you can sit it again 3 months later.
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