The High School Equivalency Exam Is Held Twice a Year: “Informatics” Added From FY2026, Bringing It to 9 or 10 Subjects

Even without graduating from a high school in Japan, there is a way to become qualified to sit university, junior college, and vocational school entrance exams: the “Upper Secondary School Graduation Level Certification Examination” (高等学校卒業程度認定試験, commonly the “kōsotsu nintei” exam), held twice a year by MEXT. It replaced the former “University Entrance Qualification Examination” (大学入学資格検定, daiken) in FY2005.

What follows was confirmed in September 2026 from MEXT’s High School Equivalency Exam page, the “FY2026 Implementation Guidelines for the Upper Secondary School Graduation Level Certification Examination,” the Rules on the Upper Secondary School Graduation Level Certification Examination (MEXT Ordinance No. 1 of Heisei 17 [2005]), and guidance on university entrance qualifications. Whether you personally are eligible, and how a pass can be used toward further education, is decided by MEXT’s responsible division and the school you are applying to.

What Passing Gets You

According to MEXT, the High School Equivalency Exam certifies whether a person who was unable to graduate from high school for various reasons has academic ability equal to or exceeding that of a high school graduate. Those who pass are granted eligibility to enroll in universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools (Enforcement Regulations of the School Education Act, Article 150, item 5), and MEXT states that it works with the business community and others so that a pass is treated as equivalent to high school graduation for employment and qualification exams as well.

• Passing does not make your final level of education “high school graduate” (MEXT Q&A)
• A person under 18 who passes all subjects becomes a certified passer from their 18th birthday (Rule, Article 8). MEXT explains that if you turn 18 within that fiscal year, you can sit university entrance exams even before your birthday
• Subjects you pass are kept on record, and you can take the remaining subjects at a later session or in a later fiscal year

Who Can and Cannot Take It

According to the FY2026 implementation guidelines, anyone who will turn 16 or older by March 31, 2027 can take the exam. However, anyone who already holds a university entrance qualification cannot. This includes people who have graduated from high school and people who have previously passed the daiken or the High School Equivalency Exam. People currently enrolled in high school (including those on a leave of absence) can take it.

There are no nationality or status-of-residence requirements to sit the exam. The rules provide for how application documents are handled for people who do not hold Japanese nationality (nationality in place of registered domicile), which shows the rules assume foreign nationals will take the exam. An application requires a résumé, either an abstract of your family register or a copy of your certificate of residence (dated within 6 months before application), and 2 photographs (Rule, Article 7).

For Those Who Finished School in Ukraine

One point to watch here is the condition that “those who already hold a university entrance qualification cannot take the exam.” MEXT recognizes a Japanese university entrance qualification for people who have completed Ukraine’s complete general secondary education (повна загальна середня освіта, an 11-year course). This is covered in detail in our article on how Ukrainian diplomas, degrees, and medical licenses are treated in Japan. Someone who has completed this course can apply to a university without taking the High School Equivalency Exam — but that also means they fall outside the group that can take it.

Conversely, for someone who left school in Ukraine partway through and came to Japan, the High School Equivalency Exam is one path toward a university or vocational school. Which group you fall into depends on the grade you completed and your documents. Before applying, check with MEXT’s Comprehensive Education Policy Bureau, Lifelong Learning Promotion Division (phone: 03-5253-4111), or with the school you are applying to.

The Subjects Changed From FY2026

From the first FY2026 (Reiwa 8) exam session, “Informatics” (情報) was added as a subject. MEXT explains this reflects, among other things, “Informatics” becoming a subject on the Common Test for University Admissions from January 2025. The number of subjects needed to pass is 9 or 10, depending on which science subjects you choose.

The exam is mainly multiple-choice on a mark-sheet, with 50 minutes per subject. The scope is based on the textbooks used by people who entered high school from April 2022 onward (for example, “Contemporary Japanese Language” and “Language Culture” for Japanese Language, and “Integrated History” for history). All questions are in Japanese.

Subjects You Do Not Need to Take (Exemptions)

According to Article 5 of the Rules, anyone with the following can, on application, be exempted from the exam for the corresponding subject:

• Credits earned at a Japanese high school (including part-time, correspondence, and the upper secondary course of a secondary education school) or a college of technology
• Subjects completed at an overseas educational institution recognized by the Minister of MEXT, or at the upper secondary course of a designated specialized training college
• Passing a skills assessment designated by the Minister of MEXT. Under the notice in effect as of September 2026, this includes, for example, Eiken (the Test in Practical English Proficiency) Pre-2 or above for English, the Mathematics Proficiency Test Grade 2 or above for Mathematics, and the IT Passport Examination for Informatics

Subjects completed at a foreign school and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) are not among the grounds for exemption listed in the rules and notices. Also, you cannot be exempted from all subjects — you must sit and pass at least one.

The FY2026 Schedule and Exam Fees

The exam fee depends on the number of subjects taken: ¥8,500 for 7 or more subjects, ¥6,500 for 4–6 subjects, and ¥4,500 for 3 or fewer subjects (Rule, Article 11). The application guide (containing the application forms) is distributed by MEXT and each prefectural board of education, and can also be requested by mail. To apply, you put the documents in the envelope included with the application guide and send them to MEXT from a post office counter by simple registered mail. Application documents and the exam fee are not returned even if you do not end up taking the exam.

There is one exam venue per prefecture. As of September 2026, the FY2027 schedule has not yet been announced.

How Many People Take It, and How Many Pass

According to MEXT, the 2nd session of FY2025 (November) had 8,327 test takers, of whom 3,945 passed all subjects and gained university entrance qualification. The 1st session of FY2026 (August) had 8,090 test takers and 3,086 who passed. The announcements do not give a breakdown of test takers by nationality.

How This Relates to Other Paths

The High School Equivalency Exam is separate from the path of re-enrolling in high school. If you want to enter a Japanese high school, each prefecture has entrance exams for students who came from abroad (see our article on high school entrance exams for students from abroad). For someone who has not completed junior high school, night junior high school is another path.

The entrance qualifications, status of residence, and exams involved in applying to a vocational school or university as an international student after passing are covered in our articles on vocational schools and the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU). Which path suits you is not something this article determines.