How to Take the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission): Can You Take It in Nepal? Subjects, Dates, Fee, Applying and What to Bring

When you apply to a Japanese university, you may be asked for your score on the "Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students" (EJU, 日本留学試験). This guide explains when, where and how a student from Nepal takes it. It is based on the 2026 guidelines and bulletins of the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO).

We checked the official pages listed at the bottom on 8 November 2026. Dates, fees and test locations change every year. This guide covers the 2026 academic year. We could not confirm the 2027 dates and fees. Before you apply, always check the latest information on JASSO's EJU website. Whether you need the EJU is decided by the university you apply to. This guide does not guarantee that you will pass or be admitted.

First, who needs the EJU?

The EJU measures the Japanese language ability and basic academic ability of international students who want to enter the undergraduate programmes of Japanese universities and similar institutions. Not every university requires it. Some universities, faculties and departments do not require the EJU. Universities also differ in which subjects you must take and in which language the questions are set.

JASSO's bulletin says that before you apply for the EJU you must always ask the university you want to enter and check the latest information. For the big picture of what comes next, see the guide to what comes after a Japanese language school.

Can you take it in Nepal?

According to JASSO's 2026 overseas bulletin, the overseas test locations are:

India (New Delhi), Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya), Republic of Korea (Seoul, Busan), Singapore, Sri Lanka (Colombo), Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai), Taiwan (Taipei), the Philippines (Manila), Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City), Hong Kong, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Myanmar (Yangon) and Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar).

Nepal (Kathmandu) is not on this list. In other words, in the 2026 academic year you cannot take the EJU inside Nepal. There are two ways to take it:

• Take it at a test site in Japan. JASSO's bulletin says the address for the admission voucher must be in Japan. People who live abroad enter the address of someone who will receive the voucher for them. If you take it after you arrive in Japan, you may be able to use your school's address (ask your school).
• Take it in another country. According to JASSO's FAQ, if the exam is not held in your country, you can take it elsewhere if you meet all of these conditions: there is a representative in the country or region where you want to take it who can handle the application (including getting the application form and paying the fee) and receiving the voucher; you can understand the language used in the exam room; and you obtain the visa for entry yourself (JASSO and local bodies do not issue documents for the visa application).

Neither way is simple. It is also wise to think, before you go to Japan, about routes that do not require an EJU score. For example, one route is to enter a Japanese language school and take the exam in Japan.

Twice a year, in Japan

According to JASSO's 2026 bulletin (for exams in Japan), the dates are:

Applications after the deadline are not accepted at all. Applications open three to four months before the exam. Work backwards from when you want to enter university and plan from there. For the 2027 dates, check JASSO's website.

Subjects and exam times

The subjects you take are specified by the university you want to enter. When you apply, you choose one combination of subjects. You cannot take a subject you did not apply for.

• You cannot choose Science and Japan and the World together.
• For Science, you choose two of physics, chemistry and biology on the exam day.
• For Mathematics, you choose Course 1 (humanities faculties and others) or Course 2 (faculties that need a lot of mathematics) on the exam day.
• Japanese is set in Japanese only. For Science, Japan and the World and Mathematics, you choose Japanese or English when you apply (the question booklets are separate).
• The Japanese exam runs in this order: writing, reading, then listening-reading and listening.

The exam times are 9:30–12:00 for Japanese, 13:30–15:00 for Science and Japan and the World, and 15:40–17:10 for Mathematics. Question booklets are collected after each subject, so you can leave the room about 15 minutes after the end time.

English-language exams are held only at limited venues. English-language exams are not held at venues in Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Kyoto/Shiga and Hyogo. You request a prefecture when you apply, but you may be moved to a nearby prefecture depending on numbers. Check the final venue on your voucher.

Exam fee

You can pay by credit card, at a convenience store, or by bank transfer (ATM or internet banking). If you do not pay by the deadline, your application is cancelled. This is the fee for people who take it in Japan. The fee for taking it overseas differs by country and region. This guide does not list fees by country. Check JASSO's overseas bulletin for the country you want and ask the local contact.

How to apply

You apply on a website called EJU Online.

1. 1Get a My Page ID. Register with your name, date of birth, email address and so on. If you applied through EJU Online within the past two years, you do not need a new one.
2. 2Register your application details. Enter your subjects, the language of the questions, your test location, your photo and so on.
3. 3Pay the fee.
4. 4Confirm that your application is complete. On My Page, check that the application is complete and that the details are correct.

The photo must be taken within the past 6 months, facing the camera, without a hat, against a plain background (JPEG, at least 480×640 pixels, 5 MB or less). Photos edited with an app, or with sunglasses or a mask, cannot be used. The photo is printed on the voucher and the score report, and it is also used when your scores are sent to a university.

After the application period ends, you cannot change your subjects, the language of the questions or your test location. Your name, date of birth and similar details may be corrected for a fee (3,000 yen including tax) in the correction period after the exam, but major changes are not allowed. Enter your name exactly as on your passport or residence card.

If you attend a school, you may apply as a group. First check with your school how to apply. The group's contact person may be able to view the scores of everyone in the group (the rule is that written consent is obtained when you apply). If you do not want the contact person to see your scores, apply individually.

After you apply, you receive a voucher. Always check that the name and date of birth printed on it are correct.

On the exam day

Bring these:

• Your admission voucher. Do not write anything on it.
• An identity document. Only the original of a valid residence card, passport or My Number Card. Copies, images and custody/deposit receipts are not accepted. If you forget it, you cannot take the exam. If you have applied online to extend your period of stay, show the "certificate of extension application in progress" issued by the Immigration Services Agency together with the original residence card.
• Writing tools. An HB pencil, a plain plastic eraser (taken out of its case) and a pencil sharpener. Mechanical pencils cannot be used, because the mark sheet may not be read correctly.
• A wristwatch. There is no clock in the exam room. Watches with dictionary, calculator or communication functions cannot be used. Smartphones and smartwatches cannot be used as watches.
• Lunch. It is a Sunday, so the cafeteria and nearby shops may be closed. If you take only the morning or only the afternoon exam, you do not need lunch. Take your rubbish home.

You can enter the venue from 9:00. For Japanese, you cannot enter the room after 9:40. For other subjects, you cannot enter more than 20 minutes after the start.

If you lose your voucher, or it does not arrive, print a "temporary voucher" from EJU Online and take it to the temporary voucher desk at the venue. This is the procedure if it has not arrived 10 days after the planned mailing date.

About your scores

• You can see your scores on EJU Online. JASSO does not answer questions about scores by phone or email.
• Scores are valid for two years (the past four sessions). However, some universities specify the year or session they will accept.
• When you apply to a university, the university asks JASSO directly for your scores. Applying for the EJU alone does not mean you have applied to a university. You apply to the university separately, following its application guidelines.

When entering a Japanese language school or going on to university

In its notes on applying, the Immigration Services Agency says that international students who enter a university (excluding Japanese-language special courses) or a college of technology from academic year 2027 (Reiwa 9) onward may need documents showing Japanese ability at B2 or above. This is aimed at students who will be taught or supervised in Japanese, and the targets and conditions differ by programme and institution. When this is shown by an exam, one of the exams listed under the transitional measure for those entering by the end of academic year 2029 (Reiwa 11) is 200 points or more in the EJU Japanese subject (reading and listening/listening-reading combined). Other exams are also listed. Rules can change and conditions differ in detail, so check the latest information with the Immigration Services Agency and the university you want to enter. For Japanese language exams, see also the JLPT guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the EJU and the JLPT?

The JLPT measures Japanese language ability. The EJU measures Japanese plus the basic academic ability for university study, such as science, Japan and the World, and mathematics. Which one you need depends on the university you want to enter.

How many times can I take it?

According to JASSO's FAQ, there is no limit on the number of times you can take it. However, the EJU is held twice a year, and scores are valid for two years (the past four sessions). Which session's scores a university accepts differs by university.

Can I take it in English?

For Science, Japan and the World and Mathematics, you choose Japanese or English when you apply. You need to match the language the university specifies. The Japanese subject is in Japanese only. Some prefectures do not hold English-language exams.

Can I change the subjects after I apply?

After the application period, you cannot change your subjects. Before you apply, check the university's requirements.

Can I see past questions?

JASSO's website has information on past exam questions. The bulletin lists it as a reference.

Next steps

Look up the EJU requirements of the university you want to enter (subjects, language of the questions, which years' scores are accepted). Then check the application period on JASSO's EJU website. For paths after a Japanese language school, see the pathways guide; for scholarships, see the scholarship guide. You can contact us, but we do not guarantee admission or a visa. This site is free to use.