License Conversion Practice Questions | 50 Questions Like the Knowledge Test, with Answers and Explanations (2026)

First, try just 3 questions to test yourself. The answers are in the next section.

Q A.　When a police officer at an intersection is directing traffic with hand signals that differ from the traffic light, you must follow the traffic light.

Q B.　At an intersection with a flashing yellow light, you are always required to go slow.

Q C.　At a crosswalk and within 30 meters before it, both overtaking and passing are prohibited.

The knowledge test for license conversion (gaimen kirikae) changed in October 2025 to 50 questions with 90% required to pass (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Revised Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective October 1, 2025). The pass rate is 42.8%. Out of 10 people who take it, nearly 6 fail.

The questions in this article are actual questions from Drivey's license conversion course. The full course has 947 questions, and we are publishing 50 of them here with answers and explanations.

*The content of this article is as of September 2026. Rules change. Before starting the procedure, always check with the driver's license center of the prefecture where you will take the test.

Answers to the 3 questions

Q A　Answer　×

When a police officer's hand signals or instructions differ from the traffic light, follow the police officer's hand signals or instructions. Remember that people take priority over machines.

Q B　Answer　×

A flashing yellow light means "you may proceed with caution"; it does not require you to go slow. The key is whether you noticed the word "always."

Q C　Answer　○

Overtaking and passing before a crosswalk are prohibited as a rule. Note that crosswalks and bicycle crossings are the only places where passing is also prohibited. Remember them as special places.

👉 None of these 3 were missed because of being unable to read Japanese. Q A is about right of way, Q B is the trap of absolute expressions, and Q C is about distances. The reasons people fail the knowledge test almost all fall into these 3 types.

Where can I get past questions for license conversion?

This is for anyone who searched for "license conversion past questions" and found nothing. Past questions for the knowledge test are not published. If you cannot find them, it is not because of how you searched.

However, the test range is fixed. It covers the basics of Japan's traffic rules: signals and signs, right of way, going slow and stopping, no parking and no stopping, and protecting pedestrians. Since the range is fixed, you can prepare with questions built from that range.

The 50 questions in this article are also not the actual past questions. They are questions Drivey has prepared based on the test range. We want to be honest about that.

Why do people fail even when they can take the test in their native language?

The knowledge test is available in 20 languages (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Written Tests Available in Foreign Languages). If you can take it in your native language, Japanese ability should not matter. Even so, 57% fail.

The reason is that driving that is correct in your home country can be a violation in Japan. It is not about which is right; the rules simply differ by country. And where the differences appear depends on your country of origin.

"Be careful because Japan drives on the left" does not apply to everyone

People from Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal do not make mistakes about driving on the left, because their countries drive on the left too. Telling them "Japan drives on the left" does not help them prepare.

The differences appear for people from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Myanmar, and similar countries. The direction of signs, the size of left and right turns, and the direction around roundabouts are all reversed.

People from Myanmar face an even more confusing situation

On December 6, 1970, Myanmar switched overnight from driving on the left to driving on the right, following a sudden decree by the military government of the time.

However, many of the cars on the road are used cars imported from Japan and still have the steering wheel on the right. So on Myanmar's roads, a combination that is rare worldwide has continued: sitting in a right-hand-drive car and driving on the right side of the road.

In Japan, you sit in a right-hand-drive car and drive on the left side of the road.

👉 The driver's seat is in the same place, and only the side of the road is reversed. This is easier to get confused by than "everything is reversed." Because sitting in the car feels the same as at home, your body remembers how you drive at home. People from Myanmar should pay special attention to the 4 questions in section A below.

47 practice questions

A. Which side of the road — where differences with right-hand-traffic countries appear

Q1.　At a roundabout, you travel to the right (clockwise).

Answer　×　At roundabouts in Japan, vehicles travel to the left (counterclockwise). In right-hand-traffic countries you go around the other way, so your body's memory leads directly to the wrong answer.

Q2.　On a road without traffic lanes, you should as a rule drive near the center of the road.

Answer　×　On roads without lane markings, the rule is to keep to the left side of the road. Driving near the center increases the risk of collision with oncoming vehicles.

Q3.　On a one-way road, you must always drive on the left part of the road and cannot drive on the right part.

Answer　×　On a one-way road there are no oncoming vehicles, so you can also use the right part if it is safe. People who memorized "drive on the left" mechanically are the ones who get this wrong. It is a typical case of a rule having exceptions.

Q4.　When overtaking a streetcar, you must pass on its left side.

Answer　○　As a rule, you overtake a streetcar by passing on its left side. People from countries without streetcars may hesitate the first time they see this question.

B. Crosswalks and pedestrians — the biggest source of lost points

Q5.　If there is a pedestrian about to cross at a crosswalk, you may proceed after waiting for the pedestrian to stop.

Answer　×　As soon as a pedestrian is "about to cross," the vehicle must stop. Going first because the pedestrian seems likely to stop is not allowed. Driving that is accepted in many other countries is a violation in Japan.

Q6.　Even when it is unclear whether there is a pedestrian about to cross at a crosswalk, you should proceed at a speed at which you can stop immediately to ensure safety.

Answer　○　Whether or not you can see a pedestrian, slow down on the assumption that someone might be there. The idea is that stopping after you see them is too late.

Q7.　If a vehicle is stopped before a crosswalk, you may go slow and pass beside it once you confirm there are no pedestrians about to cross.

Answer　×　A pedestrian may be hidden behind the stopped vehicle. Going slow is not enough; you must stop before moving in front of it. Many fatal accidents happen in this situation.

Q8.　When a pedestrian is walking where there is no crosswalk, it cannot be helped if you block the pedestrian's way.

Answer　×　Pedestrians have priority even where there is no crosswalk. Japan's Road Traffic Act is built to give pedestrians priority wherever they are.

C. Going slow (jokou) — the definition itself is tested

Q9.　"Jokou" (going slow) refers to a speed of about 10 km/h or less, at which the vehicle can stop within 1 meter when braking.

Answer　○　"Jokou" means "a speed at which you can stop immediately." The guideline is roughly 10 km/h or less with a braking distance within 1 meter. It is different from simply driving slowly.

Q10.　Near the top of a steep uphill slope is a place to go slow, but a steep downhill slope is not.

Answer　×　A steep downhill slope is also a place to go slow. Near the top of an uphill slope, visibility is poor; on a steep downhill slope, speed builds up and brakes work less well. For these different reasons, you go slow in both.

D. Railroad crossings

Q11.　At a railroad crossing, stop, turn down the car stereo, open the window, and check for safety on both sides with your eyes and ears.

Answer　○　You check not only with your eyes but also with your ears. Remember the whole action, including opening the window. How railroad crossings are handled differs greatly by country.

Q12.　When crossing a railroad crossing right after the vehicle in front, you do not need to stop if you can confirm it is safe.

Answer　×　Regardless of whether the vehicle in front stopped and checked, each vehicle must stop and check for itself, one at a time.

E. Parking and stopping — one different number reverses the answer

Q13.　You must not park or stop at a crosswalk or bicycle crossing, or within 5 meters before or after its edges.

Answer　○　For crosswalks, it is 5 meters before and after.

Q14.　A railroad crossing and within 5 meters before and after its edges are places where parking and stopping are prohibited.

Answer　×　For railroad crossings, it is 10 meters before and after. It is correct that parking and stopping are prohibited; only the number is wrong.

👉 Compare Q13 and Q14. Both say "parking and stopping are prohibited within 5 meters before and after," but one is ○ and the other is ×. Many test questions try to trick you with the difference between 5, 10, and 30 meters, so memorize the number for each place.

F. Yellow lights — 2 questions with the same content and different wording

Q15.　A yellow light means, as a rule, that you must stop at the stopping position; it does not permit you to proceed.

Answer　○　Yellow does not mean "you may go if you hurry." The rule is to stop.

Q16.　When the light turns yellow, you must not proceed past the stop line for any reason whatsoever.

Answer　×　The rule is to stop, but if you are close to the stopping position and cannot stop safely, you may proceed. This statement removes that exception, so it is wrong.

👉 Q15 and Q16 are about the same yellow light. With "as a rule" the answer is ○; with "for any reason whatsoever" it is ×. The answer is reversed not by the content but by a single phrase. This is why people fail even when taking the test in their native language.

G. Traps people notice only after coming to Japan

Q17.　Driving on private land such as a vacant lot or parking lot does not require a driver's license because it is not a public road.

Answer　×　Places that are not closed off with fences or gates and that anyone can freely enter are treated as "roads." This includes convenience store and supermarket parking lots. It can count as driving without a license, so it matters in daily life too.

Q18.　When leaving a gas station, I followed the attendant's signal and crossed the sidewalk while going slow.

Answer　×　When crossing a sidewalk to leave a facility, you must always stop. Even if the attendant is signaling, the driver is responsible for the decision.

H. Intersections and roundabouts — watch for "always" and "do not need to"

Q19.　When entering a roundabout, you must not obstruct vehicles already traveling in the roundabout.

Answer　○　At a roundabout, vehicles already going around have priority. Entering vehicles wait.

Q20.　At a roundabout, if you are about to pass your exit, you may back up within the roundabout to return to it.

Answer　×　Backing up is dangerous and prohibited. Go around once more and leave at your exit.

Q21.　On a road with little traffic, you do not necessarily have to stop even where there is a stop sign.

Answer　×　Where there is a stop sign, you must bring the wheels to a complete stop regardless of traffic. Passing through while going slow because no cars are coming is a violation.

Q22.　When traveling on a priority road, vehicles on roads crossing it will always stop, so no special caution is needed.

Answer　×　Even if you have priority, others may not follow the rules. A vehicle required to stop may not stop. "Always" and "no caution is needed" are the traps.

Q23.　When turning right at an intersection, if the way to proceed is specified by markings such as arrows and you follow them, you do not need to go slow.

Answer　×　You must go slow when turning right or left at an intersection. Following the markings does not remove the duty to go slow.

I. Overtaking — where "30 meters" applies

Q24.　Near a bend in the road, overtaking is prohibited only when visibility is poor.

Answer　×　Whether visibility is good or poor, overtaking is prohibited near a bend. The statement adds the condition "only when," so it is wrong.

Q25.　At crosswalks and bicycle crossings and within 30 meters before them, overtaking is prohibited, but passing is not.

Answer　×　A crosswalk and within 30 meters before it are the only places where both overtaking and passing are prohibited. This is the same point as Q C at the beginning. Q C is ○ and Q25 is ×. The content is the same; only the wording changed, and the answer reversed.

Q26.　Within 30 meters before an intersection, overtaking is prohibited even when you are traveling on a priority road.

Answer　×　When you are traveling on a priority road, it is an exception and you may overtake. "Even when" removes the exception, so it is wrong.

Q27.　You must not overtake within 30 meters of a bus stop.

Answer　×　Bus stops are not among the places where overtaking is prohibited. What is prohibited within 10 meters of a bus stop is "parking and stopping." This question swaps the prohibited action and the distance.

J. Going slow and speed — the definitions themselves are tested

Q28.　"Jokou" (going slow) means reducing your speed from 60 km/h to 30 km/h.

Answer　×　"Jokou" is a speed at which you can stop immediately, roughly 10 km/h or less. It does not mean "cutting your speed in half."

Q29.　On ordinary roads where no speed is specified by signs or markings, the maximum speed for a regular car is 60 km/h.

Answer　○　On ordinary roads without signs, the legal speed limit for a regular car is 60 km/h.

Q30.　Near a bend in the road, you must go slow even if visibility is good.

Answer　○　Near a bend is a place to go slow regardless of visibility. It is the same point as Q24, but this one is ○.

Q31.　When passing through an intersection with poor visibility to the left and right, you must go slow even when you are traveling on a priority road.

Answer　×　You must go slow at intersections with poor visibility, but when you are traveling on a priority road, the duty to go slow does not apply as an exception.

K. Expressways — also tested for those converting to a moped license

Q32.　An acceleration lane is a lane for stopping to check for safety, so you should always stop before entering the main lanes.

Answer　×　An acceleration lane is for matching the speed of the main lanes. Stopping there is actually dangerous.

Q33.　On expressways, you must not make a U-turn or back up, except when unavoidable due to a breakdown, accident, or similar.

Answer　○　Both U-turns and backing up lead to serious accidents. If you pass your exit, continue to the next interchange.

Q34.　On national expressways where no speed is specified by signs, the minimum speed is 50 km/h.

Answer　○　National expressways have a minimum speed of 50 km/h. Driving too slowly is also a violation.

Q35.　The main carriageway of an expressway includes all of the driving lanes, climbing lanes, acceleration lanes, and deceleration lanes.

Answer　×　The main carriageway does not include climbing lanes, acceleration lanes, deceleration lanes, side strips, or shoulders. When a question includes "all," check whether there are exceptions.

L. Night, rain, and poor conditions — numbers to memorize

Q36.　Even in the daytime, you must turn on your lights when driving through tunnels on ordinary roads or places where fog prevents you from seeing 50 meters ahead.

Answer　○　Even in the daytime, lights are needed where you cannot see 50 meters ahead. The same applies in tunnels.

Q37.　When the road is wet from rain and the tires are worn, the stopping distance can be about twice as long as on a dry road with tires in good condition.

Answer　○　When rain and worn tires combine, the stopping distance can become about twice as long. This is why you keep a larger following distance.

Q38.　When parking or stopping on a road at night, you do not need to turn on the hazard lights, parking lights, or taillights if the place is clearly visible from 50 meters behind because of street lighting or similar.

Answer　○　In places clearly visible from 50 meters behind, or when you have placed a warning triangle, you do not need to turn on lights. This is a question that allows an exception.

Q39.　When the headlights of the vehicle behind you are too bright, you should get angry and brake suddenly or flash your headlights to protest.

Answer　×　Emotional actions cause rear-end collisions. Adjust your mirror, or let the vehicle go ahead at a safe place.

M. Emergency vehicles and route buses — questions that allow exceptions

Q40.　When an emergency vehicle approaches, outside intersections you generally only need to pull over to the left side of the road, and you do not necessarily need to stop.

Answer　○　At and near intersections you stop; elsewhere you pull over to the left and give way. What to do depends on where you are.

Q41.　On a one-way road, if an emergency vehicle approaches and pulling over to the left would actually get in its way, you may pull over to the right to give way.

Answer　○　On one-way roads, you may pull over to the right to give way. If you have memorized "pull over to the left" mechanically, you will get this wrong.

Q42.　When a route bus at a bus stop is signaling to pull out, you must not obstruct it, except when you would have to brake or swerve suddenly to avoid it.

Answer　○　You must not obstruct a route bus pulling out. However, situations involving danger are an exception.

Q43.　Large and regular motorcycles may travel in bus-only lanes.

Answer　×　Besides designated vehicles, only small special vehicles, mopeds, and light vehicles may use bus-only lanes. Motorcycles are not included.

N. Passengers, loads, and signals — swapped numbers and words

Q44.　When calculating the passenger capacity of a regular car, 3 children under 12 count as 2 adults.

Answer　○　3 children under 12 = 2 adults. Questions about calculating passenger numbers are common, so memorize this ratio.

Q45.　The signal for a U-turn is given 3 seconds before starting the U-turn.

Answer　×　Signals for U-turns and right and left turns are given 30 meters before that point. 3 seconds before is the signal for changing lanes. This question swaps the number and the action.

Q46.　Since you turned on your turn signal, you may assume that surrounding vehicles will always give way.

Answer　×　A turn signal shows your intention; it does not give you priority. Questions with "always" are almost always ×.

Q47.　Traffic wardens are not police officers, so you do not need to follow their hand signals.

Answer　×　"Police officers and others" include traffic wardens. You must follow their hand signals.

How many of the 47 did you get right?

In the real test, you pass with 45 correct out of 50 (90%). You can get only 5 wrong.

Converted to a percentage for 47 questions, 43 correct reaches the real test's passing line (90%). 42 correct is 89.4%, which would fail the real test.

👉 The 42.8% pass rate is not because "the test is difficult" but because "you cannot pass without 90%." Understanding 80% is not enough.

Even these 50 questions are not enough

To be honest, even 50 questions will not get you to the real test level. The test range is broad, covering signals, signs, right of way, going slow, parking and stopping, pedestrian protection, expressways, towing, and insurance, and this article touches only part of it.

And as we saw with Q13 and Q14, and Q15 and Q16, the same point can have a different answer when the wording changes. Solving and memorizing one question is not enough to handle rewording in the real test. You need to solve the same point many times in different wording.

Drivey's license conversion course

Drivey has a course specialized in the license conversion knowledge test. The 50 questions in this article are from that course.

• 947 questions — this article published only 50 of them. You can repeatedly solve the same points in different wording

• The same 50-question format as the real test — the number of questions and scoring match the real test

• 6 languages — Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Myanmar. You can understand in your native language why each rule exists before the test

• Videos — you can see on video situations that text alone cannot convey, such as stopping at crosswalks and crossing railroad tracks

• Japanese with furigana — people taking the test in Japanese do not get stuck on kanji

ZIPLUS Co., Ltd., which operates Drivey, also prepares the Japanese translation of your driver's license required for the application. ZIPLUS is a translation provider recognized by the National Police Agency. Any problem with your documents alone means rebooking. You can handle studying and document preparation through the same contact.

Summary

• No official past questions are published. You prepare with questions built from the test range

• The pass rate is 42.8%. The passing line is 90%, so you can get only 5 of 50 wrong

• People fail not because of Japanese ability but because of differences between Japan's rules and their home country's. The knowledge test is available in 20 languages

• Where the differences appear depends on your country of origin. People from Indonesia, Thailand, and Nepal do not make mistakes about driving on the left. It is people from Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and Myanmar for whom left and right are reversed

• People from Myanmar should be especially careful. Coming from a country where people drive on the right in right-hand-drive cars, the driver's seat feels the same and only the side of the road is reversed

• Roundabouts go to the left (counterclockwise), the opposite of right-hand-traffic countries

• Stop as soon as a pedestrian is "about to cross." Pedestrians have priority even where there is no crosswalk

• Numbers differ by place: 5 meters before and after crosswalks, 10 meters before and after railroad crossings, and 30 meters before for no-overtaking zones

• With "as a rule" the answer is ○; with "for any reason whatsoever" it is ×. Even with the same content, one phrase reverses the answer

👉 You can start the license conversion course with a free trial. You can check all 947 questions, videos, the glossary, and mock tests before deciding. The content of the test itself is covered in Knowledge Test (50 Questions): Content, Pass Rate, and How to Prepare.

If you only need a moped license, also see the languages, required documents, and fees in all 47 prefectures. When converting to a moped license, there is no driving skills test or moped training course.

If you support several learners at a company, supervising organization, or registered support organization, see our corporate service. You can check progress remotely on the corporate dashboard, and request a quote through the contact form.

Rules and fees change. This article is based on information as of September 2026. Before starting the procedure, check the latest information with the police or driver's license center of the prefecture where you will take the test.

Sources: National Police Agency results for license conversion, October to December 2025 (knowledge test 42.8%, driving skills test 13.1%; reported by Yomiuri Shimbun, Nikkei, and NTV NEWS NNN) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Revised Enforcement Regulations of the Road Traffic Act, effective October 1, 2025 (knowledge test: 50 questions, 45 or more correct, illustration questions removed) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Written Tests Available in Foreign Languages (updated May 11, 2026) / Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department: Converting a Foreign Driver's License to a Japanese License (stay requirement, exempt countries, fees) / Myanmar changed which side of the road it drives on on December 6, 1970 (The Irrawaddy and others). The 50 questions in this article are from Drivey's license conversion course (947 questions in total) and are not the actual test questions.