Japan License Conversion Driving Test: Tasks, Scoring, Fails

The basics

Only people who pass the knowledge test (知識確認, 45 or more out of 50) can take the practical test. Under the National Police Agency (警察庁) guidelines, a licensing examiner (技能試験官) supervises the drive, and 70 or more out of 100 points counts as 'no problem' (支障なし), meaning a pass. Scoring follows the same standards as Japan's regular driving exam.

The practical test is by reservation. In Tokyo (警視庁) you cannot take it on the day you apply; Tokyo police say the test date usually falls about 3–4 months after your booking, and your foreign license must still be valid on that day.

Course tasks for a regular car license

The NPA's 'Practical Test Method' annex (実技実施方法) sets the tasks and how often each must be included for every license class. For a regular car license (普通免許, same column as large and medium vehicles) they are listed below. Each center must set at least three courses with different routes, so which one you drive depends on the center and the day.

Tokyo police say the October 2025 revision 'added tasks such as passing pedestrian crossings (横断歩道)' and 'made assessment standards stricter'. Under the current guidelines, both pedestrian crossings and railroad crossings (踏切) are mandatory tasks.

What costs you points

The sample score sheet attached to the guidelines (実技成績表, foreign-license version) groups deductions into 20-, 10- and 5-point columns. With 70 as the pass line, a few major errors are enough to fail. The main deduction categories:

• Safety checks: not checking when starting, reversing, around the car, for bikes on your left when turning left, when changing lanes, at intersections, behind you, or at railroad crossings
• Signals: not signaling, cancelling too early, or not keeping the signal on when starting, changing lanes or turning
• Positioning: not moving to the left edge (or the center for a right turn) before an intersection, moving over too late, or swinging the wrong way first
• Speed: not slowing to a crawl (徐行) when turning or where visibility is poor, going too fast, not holding the instructed speed
• Vehicle sense: side clearance, stopping position relative to the stop line, minor wheel drop off the course
• Control: stalling, harsh braking, weaving, jerky steering, rolling back on a hill

Actions that end the test immediately

The score sheet also has a 'test stopped' (試験中止) section. These actions end the test on the spot regardless of your remaining points — and experienced drivers from abroad often commit them out of habit.

• Proceeding on a red or yellow light
• Not coming to a complete stop at a 'STOP' (止まれ) sign
• Not stopping before a railroad crossing
• Obstructing a vehicle with priority or a pedestrian on a crossing
• Driving on the right side of the road (including crossing into the oncoming side where prohibited)
• A major wheel drop, collision, or failing to keep a safe distance
• The examiner having to brake or steer for you
• Total deductions exceeding the limit

Motorcycle licenses and AT-only licenses

For motorcycle licenses (二輪), the tasks also include a narrow straight beam (直線狭路コース) and an emergency stop from a set speed; large and standard motorcycle tests add a slalom (連続進路転換), and the large motorcycle test adds a washboard section (波状路). Obstacle passes are required at least twice and the total distance is 800 m or more.

The guidelines say examiners should not automatically test you in the largest vehicle your foreign license covers: if you ask for a lower class or a restricted license, you take that test instead. For example, a holder of a manual car license who applies for an AT-only license takes the test in an automatic car.

How to prepare

Years of driving experience abroad do not guarantee a pass if you don't know the 'pattern' Japanese examiners expect. Japan drives on the left, and examiners pay close attention to visible head-turn safety checks, signal timing (30 m before a turn, about 3 seconds before a lane change), moving to the left edge (center for right turns) before intersections, and full stops at STOP signs and railroad crossings.

If you fail the practical test and reapply within 6 months of the date you took the knowledge test, you skip the knowledge test and go straight to the practical test (NPA guidelines). Each reapplication still needs a booking and fees. If you're unsure about Japanese traffic rules themselves, fix those gaps at the knowledge-test stage: menkyopass offers mock exams in English with the same 50-question, 30-minute format as the real test.

FAQ

Related guides

• Japan License Conversion Process: 6 Steps from Booking to License
• Failed Japan License Conversion? Reapplying and the 6-Month Rule
• Japan License Conversion Rules Changed in Oct 2025: What's New
• Japanese License Classes You Can Get by Converting (incl. AT)
• Japan Traffic Rules That Trip Up Foreign Drivers: 6 Key Rules

Sources (in Japanese)

• 警察庁 丙運発第59号（令和8年1月8日）別添「外国免許等関係事務取扱い要領」（別添第1 実技実施方法・別添第2 実技成績表）
• 警視庁「令和7年10月1日施行・改正道路交通法施行規則について」
• 警視庁「外国で取得した運転免許証を日本の運転免許証に切り替えるには」
• 警視庁「必要書類（共通）」PDF
• 日本経済新聞「外国人の免許切り替え、筆記試験の合格率9割→4割に 25年10〜12月」（警察庁公表の報道）