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For Foreign Residents | 35 Practice Questions for the Provisional and Full License Written Exams | 70% Is a Fail [2026 Edition]
Standard & Provisional License

For Foreign Residents | 35 Practice Questions for the Provisional and Full License Written Exams | 70% Is a Fail [2026 Edition]

35 practice questions for the provisional license (karimen) and full license (honmen) written exams, with answers and explanations. First, one thing to know: the pass line is 90%. You can miss only 5 of 50 questions on the provisional license exam and only 10 points on the full license exam. So "I got 70% right" means you fail. Even with these 35 questions, 25 correct is 71.4%, which would fail the real exam. The reason people fail is not their Japanese. When we checked 962 questions in Drivey's provisional license course, 20 questions containing "always" had the answer ×, and 24 of 36 questions containing condition words such as "in principle" had the answer ○. The causes of failing fall into 4 patterns: absolute words, condition words, swapped numbers, and the scope of legal terms. However, 7 of the 35 questions cannot be solved by pattern; they test knowledge itself. Solve 15 provisional and 20 full license questions and find which pattern makes you lose points. Information is as of September 2026.

How Foreign Residents Get a Regular Driver's License in Japan | Take the Provisional License Written Exam in 20 Languages at the License Center [2026 Edition]
Standard & Provisional License

How Foreign Residents Get a Regular Driver's License in Japan | Take the Provisional License Written Exam in 20 Languages at the License Center [2026 Edition]

For foreign residents who want a regular driver's license in Japan. Many driving schools hold the provisional license (karimen) written exam inside the school, and each school decides which languages it offers. Some schools offer Japanese only. But don't give up. You can take this exam first at a driver's license center, where you can choose from 20 languages. When you pass, you receive a driver's license exam results certificate, and if you give it to your driving school, you do not need to take the exam inside the school. If you commute to school, pass it before the completion test; if you take a residential course, pass it before you enroll. In simple words, we explain the 8 steps to a license, 5 deadlines, 3 things to ask a driving school before you enroll, pass rates calculated from National Police Agency statistics (provisional license 78.3%, full license 72.8%), and the 6 languages Drivey supports. Information is as of September 2026.

License Conversion Down 20.4% Year on Year | 60,444 in 2025, Breakdown by License Type and the Impact of the Rule Change
License Conversion

License Conversion Down 20.4% Year on Year | 60,444 in 2025, Breakdown by License Type and the Impact of the Rule Change

According to the National Police Agency's Driver's License Statistics, 60,444 people obtained a Japanese driver's license through license conversion (gaimen kirikae) in 2025, down 20.4% from 75,905 the year before. The main cause of the decline is the driving skills test, not the knowledge test. In October–December 2025, the pass rate was 42.8% for the knowledge test and 13.1% for the driving skills test. Before the change, in 2024, it was 92.5% against 30.4%, so the driving skills test has consistently been the narrowest gate. For license types that require both tests, the share of people who pass both on the first attempt has fallen to about 5.6%. This article sets out the breakdown by license type and the impact on hiring plans.

Moped Licenses for Technical Intern Trainees and Specified Skilled Workers | Securing a Commute for Supervising Organizations and Registered Support Organizations, and the Route Available in Their Native Language [2026 Edition]
Moped License

Moped Licenses for Technical Intern Trainees and Specified Skilled Workers | Securing a Commute for Supervising Organizations and Registered Support Organizations, and the Route Available in Their Native Language [2026 Edition]

A practical guide for staff at supervising organizations, registered support organizations and host companies that accept technical intern trainees and Specified Skilled Workers. A moped license is needed less for the work itself than to secure a way to commute, and in areas with little public transportation it directly affects retention. For Specified Skilled Workers, guidance on how to get a driver's license is among the items to explain in the life orientation, which is mandatory support (Immigration Services Agency operational guidelines). There are 2 routes to a moped license, and neither has a driving test. Getting a new license at the driver's license center has a 58.7% written exam pass rate and easy reservations, but the exam languages range from 0 to 20 depending on the prefecture, and a Japanese-only moped training course is required. Getting a moped license through license conversion (gaimen kirikae) has a lower pass rate, 42.8% on the knowledge test, but the test is available in 20 languages and there is neither a driving skills test nor a moped training course. The document review also needs a reservation, and incomplete documents lead to rejection. We also lay out a schedule counted back from the placement date. Information is as of September 2026.

How to Support Foreign Residents in Getting a Moped License: Methods, Reservations, and Preparation in Kanagawa Prefecture [For Employers and Supporters]
Moped License

How to Support Foreign Residents in Getting a Moped License: Methods, Reservations, and Preparation in Kanagawa Prefecture [For Employers and Supporters]

For staff who support foreign residents in getting a moped license in Kanagawa Prefecture. We compare getting a new license with license conversion in terms of the person's conditions, test language, reservation dates, and required deadline, and explain the key points of document preparation, learning support, and progress management.

How to Get Foreign Newspaper Scholarship Students a Moped License | Working Backwards from the Start Date, and the Test Languages Each Prefecture Offers (2026 Edition)
Moped License

How to Get Foreign Newspaper Scholarship Students a Moped License | Working Backwards from the Start Date, and the Test Languages Each Prefecture Offers (2026 Edition)

A practical guide for newspaper distributors, scholarship associations and placement agencies that accept international students as newspaper scholarship students. A moped license is almost essential for delivery work, and getting it before the start date is recommended. There are 2 routes to a moped license, and neither has a driving test. Getting a new license at the driver's license center has a 58.7% written exam pass rate and easy reservations, but the exam languages range from 0 to 20 depending on the prefecture, and a Japanese-only moped training course is required. Getting a moped license through license conversion (gaimen kirikae) has a lower pass rate, 42.8% on the knowledge test, but the test is available in 20 languages and there is neither a driving skills test nor a moped training course. However, the document review also needs a reservation, and incomplete documents lead to rejection. We also lay out a schedule counted back from the start date. Information is as of September 2026.

Pass the Written Exam Fast with Drivey: The Most Efficient Way to Pass on Your First Try
How to Use

Pass the Written Exam Fast with Drivey: The Most Efficient Way to Pass on Your First Try

Every written driving exam in Japan requires 90% or more correct answers to pass. The regular license has 95 questions, the provisional license 50, the moped license 48, the license conversion knowledge test 50, and the Class 2 license 95. This article puts the number of questions, scoring, pass line and exam languages of all 5 exams in one table and explains how to pass efficiently with Drivey.