How Thai Students Apply to Japanese Universities: EJU and University-Specific Exams

What the EJU tests

The Examination for Japanese University Admission, run by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) , is the main entrance exam Japanese universities use to assess international applicants before or alongside their own admissions process. It covers Japanese as a Foreign Language for everyone, plus a choice of subject tests depending on the faculty you are applying to: Science (choosing 2 of physics, chemistry and biology), Japan and the World (for humanities and social science faculties), and Mathematics in either Course 1 or Course 2. You cannot select both Science and Japan and the World in the same sitting, since they target different faculty types.

Where and when Thai students take it

Thai students can sit the EJU at test centers in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, without needing to travel to Japan for the exam itself. The exam runs twice a year, in June and November.

For the 2026 sessions, the exam dates are June 21 and November 8, with application windows running mid-February to mid-March for the June sitting and through July for the November sitting. Score reports typically arrive about 5 to 6 weeks after each sitting. Application procedures for Thai test centers run through the JASSO overseas representative offices in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, so check with your school or the representative office directly for local submission steps.

Choosing your subjects

• Take Japanese as a Foreign Language regardless of your target faculty, since every EJU-requiring university uses this score.

• Choose Science if you plan to apply to engineering, medicine, science or agriculture faculties, and pick the 2 subjects your target department lists as required.

• Choose Japan and the World if you plan to apply to law, economics, literature, education or other humanities and social science faculties.

• Choose Mathematics Course 1 for humanities-leaning programs or Course 2 for science and engineering programs, matching what your target university specifies.

University-specific exams on top of EJU

Passing the EJU with a strong score does not guarantee admission by itself. Many national and public universities screen applicants using EJU scores first, then require a second stage: a written exam in your subject area, an essay, or an interview conducted in Japanese or English depending on the program.

Private universities vary more. Some accept EJU scores alone, others run their own entrance exam without requiring EJU at all, and English-medium degree programs often skip EJU entirely in favor of an English test like IELTS or TOEFL plus academic transcripts. Check each university's admission page for international students before assuming EJU alone covers your application.

Preparing for the Japanese language section

Japanese as a Foreign Language carries the heaviest weight for most faculties, so Thai applicants without a Japanese-medium school background typically need 1 to 2 years of dedicated language study before their target EJU sitting, often through a Japanese language school in Thailand or a preparatory year in Japan. Past EJU papers and the official syllabus, both published by JASSO, are the main preparation materials most applicants use rather than general textbooks, since question style and vocabulary level stay consistent between sessions.

Costs and applying to more than one university

Examination fees for the EJU increased for several countries and regions in the 2026 guidelines, including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Mongolia, so check the current fee for Thailand-based test centers directly on the JASSO EJU guidelines page rather than assuming a previous year's fee still applies. Budget separately for any language school tuition, EJU registration, and travel to Bangkok or Chiang Mai if you live outside those cities, since these add up alongside your eventual university application fees.

Because you list receiving universities directly during EJU registration, you can apply to several Japanese universities using the same exam sitting without retesting for each one.

Match your subject choices carefully before you register, since faculties at different universities can require different EJU subject combinations, and choosing the wrong combination at registration means waiting for the next session to fix it.

How your score gets used

When you register for the EJU, you list the universities you want your scores sent to directly, so you do not need to request a separate score report for each application afterward. Keep your own copy of the score notification as well, since some universities ask you to submit it alongside your application even if they also receive it directly from JASSO.

Planning your timeline

Most Thai applicants start EJU preparation and Japanese language study around 1.5 to 2 years before their intended enrollment date, sitting the exam once or twice to secure a competitive score before university-specific application deadlines. Japan's international student population passed 400,000 in 2025, reaching a target originally set for 2033 eight years early, which reflects continued growth in seats and support programs at Japanese universities. That growth does not lower admission standards at competitive national universities, so budget real preparation time for both the EJU and whatever university-specific exam your target school adds on top of it.