Domestic
On January 23, 2026, "station and rolling stock cleaning" was added to the railway sector, bringing the number of work categories to six. However, as of September 1, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has published test administration guidelines and implementing organizations for only five categories: track maintenance, electrical equipment maintenance, rolling stock maintenance, rolling stock manufacturing, and transport staff.
Schedules, venues, and application methods vary by test category. Always check the official page of the organization administering the category you will take.
| Test Category | Implementing organizations and latest schedules |
|---|---|
| Track Maintenance | Japan Railway Facilities Association. Scheduled in Tokyo on 2026/10/18 and 2027/3/27. |
| Electrical Equipment Maintenance | Railway Electrical Safety Association. Scheduled in Kyushu on 2026/12/16, Osaka on 2027/1/15, and Tokyo on 2027/3/15. |
| Rolling Stock Maintenance | Japan Railway Rolling Stock & Machinery Technical Association schedule page |
| Rolling Stock Manufacturing | Japan Railway Rolling Stock Industry Association. The second FY 2026 session is scheduled in Tokyo on 2026/9/29 (applications closed). |
| Transport Staff | Japan Railway Drivers Association schedule page |
For the list of organizations implementing railway field exams, click here.
Overseas
Whether overseas tests are held and the test countries differ by test category. Check the official page for the category you want to take.
Test fees vary by test category and implementing organization. Examples of domestic test fees are ￥8,000 (tax included) for track maintenance, ￥5,000 (tax included) for rolling stock maintenance, and ￥8,000 (tax included) for transport staff. Always check the latest test guide for the category you will take.
Check the test guide for each category and implementing organization for the pass/fail notification method. For domestic track maintenance, rolling stock maintenance, and transport staff tests, notifications are sent by email about two weeks after the test.
Check the official page for each category from the MLIT railway field page.
Test Category
| Category | Track Maintenance, Electrical Equipment Maintenance, Rolling Stock Maintenance, Rolling Stock Manufacturing, Transport Staff |
| Implementing Organization | Tests are administered by the Japan Railway Facilities Association for track maintenance, the Railway Electrical Safety Association for electrical equipment maintenance, the Japan Railway Rolling Stock & Machinery Technical Association for rolling stock maintenance, the Japan Railway Rolling Stock Industry Association for rolling stock manufacturing, and the Japan Railway Drivers Association for transport staff. |
| Japanese Language Requirement | Many categories require JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher. The transport staff category requires JLPT N3 or higher. |
| Eligibility | For domestic tests, applicants generally must be foreign nationals who are at least 17 years old on the test date and lawfully residing in Japan. Check the test guide for each category for detailed passport and status-of-residence requirements. |
Example Test Content: Track Maintenance Category
| Test Time | 80 minutes total for the written exam and practical exam |
| Test Method | Paper Test Format |
| Written Exam | 30 questions. Knowledge of track maintenance, safety and health, etc. True/false or three-choice multiple choice. |
| Practical Exam | 20 questions. Knowledge and skills for track maintenance site work. Two-choice, three-choice, or four-choice multiple choice. |
| Passing Criteria | 65% or more correct answers in both the written exam and practical exam |
For details, check the MLIT railway field page.
Implementing organizations publish written and practical sample questions for track maintenance, rolling stock maintenance, rolling stock manufacturing, and transport staff. Japanese study textbooks are also available for rolling stock manufacturing. The official page for electrical equipment maintenance lists contact information about its test textbook.