How Differences in the Written Exam Affect Foreigners Getting a Moped License — A Comparison of Taking the Test at the Licensing Center vs. Converting a Foreign License

Even for the same moped license, the written test at a driver's license center and the knowledge test for license conversion (gaimen kirikae) are different tests. They have 48 and 50 questions, pass rates of 58.7% and 42.8%, and different test ranges and languages. If you start studying without knowing these differences, you may find that what you studied does not appear on the test, or you may keep failing.

How is the moped written test different from the license conversion knowledge test?

The biggest difference is the test range. The moped test at a driver's license center focuses on what you need to ride a moped. The knowledge test for license conversion, even when you are getting a moped license, covers almost the same range as the final written test for a regular car license.

*The number of questions, points, and passing score for the moped test are based on Kanagawa Prefectural Police: Test Procedures for Moped and Small Special Vehicle Licenses. The number of questions, passing score, and removal of illustration questions for the knowledge test are based on Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Revised Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective October 1, 2025. The pass rates were published by the National Police Agency on March 2, 2026.

👉 The same materials and the same way of studying are not enough for both tests.

What is on the moped written test at a driver's license center?

The test broadly checks the basic actions and rules for riding a moped safely. The main topics are as follows.

• Basic rules for pedestrians and drivers

• What to know before riding a car or moped, and how to ride

• Riding in dangerous places

• How to ride a two-wheeler

• What to do in accidents, breakdowns, and disasters

• Hazard prediction (illustration questions)

Each illustration question has 3 sub-questions about one picture. You get 2 points only if all 3 answers are correct. One wrong answer gives you 0 points. The 2 illustration questions are worth 4 points together, so missing them puts the 45-point passing line far out of reach.

👉 The moped test checks whether you understand the traffic rules needed to ride a moped, and how a moped works and is handled.

What is on the license conversion knowledge test?

The test checks whether you correctly understand Japanese traffic rules and signs and can make the right judgment. The main topics are as follows.

• Traffic rules and manners

• Meanings of signs and road markings

• Drivers' duties and responsibilities

• Driving on expressways

• Judgment to predict hazards

All questions are text questions. The format of answering by looking at an illustration was removed in October 2025, but hazard prediction itself is still tested in text questions. The test checks not only whether you know the rules, but whether you can apply them correctly.

👉 Even if you only need a moped license, the test range is the same as for conversion to a regular license. The test does not become easier because it is for a moped. Expressway driving is also included.

Which test should I take?

The 2 tests differ not only in range but also in the languages available. The license conversion knowledge test is available in 20 languages anywhere in Japan. The moped written test languages are decided by each prefecture and range from 0 to 20 languages.

This means that if you have a license from your home country, the languages your prefecture offers for the moped test are a direct factor in your decision. If you live in a prefecture that offers Japanese only, license conversion may let you take the test in your native language.

👉 The languages, required documents, and fees for all 47 prefectures are listed in this article. For prefectures whose official pages do not say, we confirmed the information by calling the driver's license center. Aomori, Iwate, Akita, and Nagano offer Japanese only. Hokkaido, Yamagata, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Kyoto, and Tottori offer English only. Tokyo and Tochigi offer 5 languages.

👉 If you choose license conversion, first check what the knowledge test asks. We have published an article on the test content, pass rate, and how to prepare and practice questions (with answers and explanations).

What should schools and host organizations prepare?

• Decide early which test each person will take

• Change the study content to match the test

• Treat Japanese language study and written test preparation separately

Sorting these out helps foreign residents get a moped license faster and more reliably.

👉 If you are in charge of hosting foreign staff, also see Moped License Guide for Foreign Workers: Pass Rates and How to Decide. It covers a flow for choosing a route, points to watch in the document check, and a study schedule that starts before arrival in Japan.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the pass rates so different?

Because the test ranges are different. The license conversion knowledge test covers a range based on the final test for a regular license. In addition, the October 2025 revision increased the number of questions from 10 to 50 and raised the passing score from 70% to 90%. Before and after this revision, the pass rate fell from about 90% to 42.8%.

Note that 42.8% is for the knowledge test alone. For conversion to a moped license, the driving skills test is not required. For conversion to a regular license or other licenses, the driving skills test (13.1% pass rate) is also required, and the share of people who pass both drops to about 5.6%. However, this 5.6% is an estimate for passing both tests on the first try. Both tests can be retaken, so the final success rate after several attempts is higher.

Is there a driving skills test for a moped license?

No. There is no driving skills test for a moped, either for a new license at a driver's license center or through license conversion. However, when you get a new license at a driver's license center, you must take a moped training course (with a real moped) after passing the written test.

If I fail either test, can I take it again?

Yes, both can be retaken, but you pay the fees each time. Also, license conversion appointments can be several months away in some areas, so failing once can delay your license a lot. Keep in mind that the pass rate is 42.8%, and start studying by working backward from your test date.

A solution for moped written test prep for foreign residents: Drivey

Against this background of differences between tests and tests becoming harder after the rule change, Drivey was launched in December 2025 as a learning service for foreign residents to prepare for the moped license and license conversion written tests.

Drivey lets learners study for each of the following 2 tests according to its range and question trends.

• Moped license course — for the 48-question written test at a driver's license center

• License conversion course — for the 50-question knowledge test

It combines videos, text, and review tests so learners can understand traffic rules and ways of thinking about driving in their native language. This makes it easy to use for study before or right after arriving in Japan. It is available in 6 languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Myanmar, and the Japanese version also has furigana.

Even if a school or host organization has not yet decided which test its people will take, Drivey is easy to introduce as a way to build a shared basic understanding.

👉 Start with a free trial. Moped license course / License conversion course

If you support several learners, see our corporate service. The corporate dashboard lets you check each learner's progress remotely. For quotes, please use the contact form.

Summary

• The moped written test differs depending on how you take it

• The license conversion knowledge test covers almost the same range as the final test for a regular license, even when you are getting a moped license

• The number of questions and points are different. The moped test has 48 questions worth 50 points (including 2 illustration questions). The license conversion test has 50 questions, all text

• The languages are different. License conversion offers 20 languages nationwide. The moped written test offers 0 to 20 languages, depending on the prefecture

• The pass rates are different. 58.7% for the moped written test and 42.8% for the license conversion knowledge test

• No driving skills test is needed for a moped. Conversion to a regular license or others also requires the driving skills test (13.1%), and the share who pass both is about 5.6% (an estimate for passing both on the first try)

• A study plan that fits the test decides whether you pass and how fast you get your license

When supporting foreign residents in getting a moped license, the surest shortcut is to understand the differences between the written tests and provide the right learning environment.

*Information as of September 2026. Rules, languages, and fees may change. Before taking the test, check with the police or driver's license center of the prefecture where you will take it.