SSW Exam Guide by Industry 2026

To qualify for 特定技能 (tokutei ginō, Specified Skilled Worker) in 2026, applicants for Specified Skilled Worker (i) need to pass a Japanese language test and an industry-specific skills proficiency test, unless the official Technical Intern Training (ii) exemption applies. This SSW exam guide by industry explains what to check, where exams are offered, how Prometric booking works, and when technical intern trainees may be exempt.

The most important practical point is that schedules change. The Immigration Services Agency’s SSW support site says its test schedules are based on information from the agencies and organizations offering the tests, and that those organizations’ own websites may have newer information, so you should confirm the latest 特定技能試験 スケジュール (tokutei ginō shiken sukējūru, Specified Skilled Worker test schedule) before you apply official SSW test information.

The two required tests for SSW (i)

For Specified Skilled Worker (i), the official SSW support site states that you need to pass a Japanese language test and a skills proficiency test official SSW test information. The language test is not tied to one industry, while the skill test is tied to the field in which you want to work.

The SSW support site lists, for all fields, the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test official SSW test information. Check the current official test information and combine the applicable Japanese language test with the relevant specified skilled worker skill test for your industry.

The skill test is industry-specific. For example, someone applying for agriculture checks the agriculture test information, while someone applying for automobile repair and maintenance checks that field’s test information and application route.

Industry-by-industry exam map

The official SSW test page organizes exams by field and shows separate entries for Specified Skilled Worker (i) and, where applicable, Specified Skilled Worker (ii) official SSW test information. For planning, treat your industry as the starting point: choose your target field first, then follow the test information and application link for that field.

For Specified Skilled Worker (i), the official page includes field entries such as nursing care, building cleaning management, machine parts and tooling / industrial machinery / electric, electronics and information fields, construction, shipbuilding and ship machinery, automobile repair and maintenance, aviation, accommodation, agriculture, fishery and aquaculture, food and beverage manufacturing, and food service official SSW test information. Some field pages are marked as Japanese only, so you may need help reading the detailed instructions.

For Specified Skilled Worker (ii), the official page also lists skill test schedules for several fields, and it states that to work under Specified Skilled Worker (ii), you need to pass a Specified Skilled Worker (ii) skills proficiency test official SSW test information. It also notes that work experience might be required in order to take tests, so SSW (ii) candidates should not assume the test is open to everyone.

Here is a practical way to read the industry list:

• Nursing care: check the nursing care field test schedule and application information.
• Building cleaning management: check the program overview and test information.
• Manufacturing-related fields: check the machine parts and tooling / industrial machinery / electric, electronics and information field information.
• Construction: check the construction field test information.
• Shipbuilding and ship machinery: check that field’s test information.
• Automobile repair and maintenance: check test information and application guidance.
• Aviation: check the aviation field test information.
• Accommodation: check test information and application guidance.
• Agriculture: check test information and application guidance.
• Fishery and aquaculture: check the relevant fishery or aquaculture application route.
• Food and beverage manufacturing: check domestic or overseas test information as applicable.
• Food service: check domestic or overseas test information as applicable.

This list is a map, not a substitute for the test operator’s current instructions. The SSW support site specifically tells candidates to check the website of the government agency or organization offering the test and carry out the required procedure there official SSW test information.

How to check 2026 exam schedules

Start with the official SSW support site’s test page. It displays exam schedule tables for the Japanese language tests and for individual industries, including schedules both within Japan and overseas for many tests official SSW test information.

The same page warns that its schedules may not be the newest information, because the agencies and organizations offering the tests may update their own websites first official SSW test information. Therefore, the best workflow is: confirm the field on the SSW support site, open the linked test information or application page, then confirm available dates with the test provider before making travel or work plans.

Prometric also has an SSW event schedule page with sections for examinations outside Japan and examinations in Japan, and it separates JFT-Basic schedules from other exam dates Prometric SSW event schedule. The Prometric page also points candidates to exam-specific pages for details such as the country where each exam is held, payment methods, and exam fees.

How to register and book a Prometric test slot

Prometric’s SSW site provides an “Examination process” area and an “ID creation and reservation procedure” area for SSW candidates Prometric SSW event schedule. It also publishes exam lists, test center lists, event schedules, exam fees by country, payment methods by country, voucher information, and country-identification document notices.

A practical booking checklist looks like this:

1. Confirm your required exam. Choose the industry-specific specified skilled worker skill test that matches the field where you intend to work.
2. Check whether the exam is handled through Prometric. Prometric’s SSW site lists exam information and event schedules, but you should still follow the exam-specific page for that test.
3. Create the required Prometric ID. Use Prometric’s ID creation and reservation procedure page for the official process.
4. Check the test center and country. Prometric separates test center information for Japan and outside Japan.
5. Review identification requirements. Prometric has a country-identification document notice section.
6. Check payment method and fee information. Prometric says exam-specific pages show payment methods and exam fees, and its site includes fee and payment information by country.
7. Reserve an available slot. After confirming the event date, test center, ID requirements, and payment method, complete the reservation through the official process.

Because taking the SSW tests costs money, you should avoid booking the wrong field or wrong location official SSW test information. If your target job is in a different industry from the test you passed, the result may not help your SSW application.

Exam locations in Japan and overseas

The official SSW test page shows schedules for tests “Within Japan” and for overseas locations, depending on the test and field official SSW test information. Countries appearing in the official schedule tables include the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and others for certain tests.

Prometric also separates “Test Center in Japan” and “Test Center outside Japan,” and its event schedule page separates examination outside Japan from examination in Japan Prometric SSW event schedule. This matters because not every test is necessarily available in every country on the same dates.

When comparing locations, think in three layers. First, check whether your industry test is offered in your country. Second, check whether the specific date has an open slot. Third, check whether your identification documents and payment method are accepted for that country’s process.

Exemptions for technical intern trainees

The official SSW support site gives an important exemption for people who have completed Technical Intern Training (ii) satisfactorily. It says you do not need to pass the Japanese language test and skills proficiency test if you have satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii) official SSW test information.

However, the exemption is not a free pass for every field. The same official page states that if you want to work in a different field, you need to pass a skills proficiency test in the field in which you wish to work official SSW test information.

This means your previous training field is central. If your SSW job is in the same field covered by the favorable completion route, you may not need the tests; if you are changing industries, plan for the new industry’s skill test.

What happens if you fail?

The official sources used for this guide confirm the required tests and the need to follow the test provider’s procedure, but they do not provide one universal retake rule covering every SSW exam. Because the SSW support site directs candidates to check the website of the agency or organization offering the test, you should verify the exam-specific page before booking again official SSW test information.

Do not assume the next step after a failed attempt. Check the same test operator page you used for booking and follow the required procedure there.

Prometric’s SSW site has an FAQ and exam information sections, including the examination process and reservation procedure Prometric SSW event schedule. Use those pages, plus the industry exam page, to confirm what steps are required.

Documents and information to prepare before booking

Before you reserve a test, prepare the information you need to avoid mistakes. The official sources do not provide a universal document checklist for every field, but Prometric does point candidates to country-identification document notices and exam-specific pages for payment methods and fees Prometric SSW event schedule.

Use this pre-booking checklist:

• Your target SSW field and job type.
• The correct industry-specific skill test name.
• Your Japanese language test plan: JFT-Basic or JLPT.
• Your preferred country and test center.
• Your identification document details, checked against the country notice.
• The payment method accepted for your country and exam.
• The latest official schedule from the test provider.
• Any exemption evidence if you completed Technical Intern Training (ii) satisfactorily.

Keep screenshots or saved copies of your reservation details for your own records, but always treat the official test provider’s system as the controlling source. If the SSW support site and the provider page differ, the SSW support site itself says the provider’s website may have more recent information official SSW test information.

Final planning tips

Choose your industry first, then work backward to the required tests. The Japanese language test is common across fields, but the specified skilled worker skill test must match the field where you intend to work.

If you are applying from overseas, confirm both the country and the exact exam availability. If you are already in Japan, check the “Within Japan” schedules and Prometric’s domestic event and test center information where applicable.

Most importantly, do not rely on old schedule tables. For 2026, the safest process is to use the SSW support site as your starting point, then confirm the latest details on the exam operator’s official page before paying, traveling, or resigning from a job.

FAQ

What tests do I need for Specified Skilled Worker (i)?

You need both a Japanese language test and a skills proficiency test for the field you want to work in, unless the official Technical Intern Training (ii) exemption applies. The official SSW support site states that SSW (i) applicants need to pass a Japanese language test and a skills proficiency test.

Can I use JLPT instead of JFT-Basic?

The official SSW test page lists the Japan Foundation Test for Basic Japanese and the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test for all fields. Check the current test page and your application requirements before deciding which one to use.

Where do I check the latest 特定技能試験 スケジュール?

Start with the official SSW support site, then confirm the latest date on the test provider’s own page. Prometric also publishes SSW event schedule pages for examinations in Japan and outside Japan.

Do technical intern trainees need to take the SSW tests?

If you satisfactorily completed Technical Intern Training (ii), the official SSW support site says you do not need to pass the Japanese language and skill tests. If you want to work in a different field, you need to pass the skills proficiency test for that field.

What happens if I fail an SSW skill test?

The official sources used here do not state one universal retake rule for all SSW tests. Check the exam-specific page and Prometric reservation information, if Prometric handles the test, before booking another attempt.

Common questions