EJU: The Exam ASEAN Students Need for Japanese University Admission
By Muntasir • Published Jun 10, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Study Abroad, Study in Southeast Asia
EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students) is the standard entrance test most Japanese universities use to screen international applicants, including students from ASEAN. JASSO runs it twice a year, in June and November, at test centers inside Japan and in cities abroad.
🎓 Four subjects: Japanese as a Foreign Language, Science, Japan and the World, Mathematics.
Pick Science (2 of Physics, Chemistry, Biology) or Japan and the World, never both.
Math has two tracks: Course 1 for humanities-leaning programs, Course 2 for advanced science and engineering.
⏱️ Held twice yearly, June and November, with results usable for more than one university application.
Each faculty sets its own required subjects and score cutoffs, so check the department page directly.
What the EJU is
The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) is a standardized test run by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) . Most national and public universities in Japan, and many private ones, use EJU scores to screen international applicants before an interview or department-level exam. If you plan to study at a Japanese university as an undergraduate, sitting the EJU is close to unavoidable.
ASEAN applicants sit the EJU alongside students from China, South Korea, Vietnam and dozens of other countries. JASSO holds test sessions inside Japan and at centers across Asia, so you do not need to travel to Japan to take it.
The four subject areas
EJU covers four separate tests. You choose which ones to sit based on what your target faculty requires.
| Subject | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Japanese as a Foreign Language | Reading, listening, listening-reading and a written composition task |
| Science | Choose 2 of Physics, Chemistry, Biology |
| Japan and the World | Society, politics, economy, history and geography, with emphasis on modern Japan |
| Mathematics | Course 1 for humanities and less math-heavy programs, Course 2 for engineering and advanced science programs |
You cannot mix Science and Japan and the World
JASSO does not let you sit both the Science test and the Japan and the World test in one session. Decide early which track fits your target course. Engineering, medicine and science faculties ask for Science plus Mathematics Course 2. Economics, law, and most humanities and social science faculties ask for Japan and the World plus Mathematics Course 1, or sometimes no math at all.
When and where to sit it
JASSO runs EJU twice a year, in June (first session) and November (second session). Results from either session count toward the following year's admissions round, and many students sit both sessions to raise their score before applying. Check the official EJU guidelines for exact registration windows and test center locations, since these shift slightly each year.
How universities use your score
Each university, and often each faculty within a university, sets its own combination of required EJU subjects and minimum scores. One university asks for Science and Mathematics Course 2 only for a given science faculty, while another asks for the same subjects plus a Japanese-language score above a set threshold. Contact the admissions office of your target faculty directly and confirm requirements before you register for EJU, so you do not sit subjects you do not need.
Most Japanese-medium programs also expect a JLPT certificate or a strong EJU Japanese score, since EJU Japanese is not pass or fail but a scaled score out of 400 combining reading and listening comprehension, with writing scored separately on a 0-50 scale. English-medium programs at universities including Waseda's international liberal arts tracks skip EJU altogether and ask for English test scores instead.
2026 syllabus update
JASSO revised the syllabus for the Science, Japan and the World, and Mathematics tests, effective from the first session of the 2026 EJU in June 2026. If you are preparing for a 2026 or later sitting, study from the updated syllabus rather than older study guides, since question emphasis shifts with each revision.
EJU scores also matter for funding
A high EJU score does more than get you into a department. JASSO reserves places on its Honors Scholarship for privately financed students for EJU sitters who score well, before they have even enrolled at a university. Treat EJU preparation as work that pays off twice, once for admission and once for scholarship eligibility.
Preparing as an ASEAN student
Start with Japanese language study, since every EJU subject other than Mathematics assumes reading fluency in Japanese, including the Science and Japan and the World tests. Many ASEAN students spend one to two years at a Japanese language school before sitting EJU, both to build language skills and to qualify for a student visa while preparing. Past EJU question booklets, published by JASSO, are the most reliable practice material, since third-party prep material varies widely in quality.