Home › Practical test

Japan license conversion practical test (技能確認): how it is scored

The practical check (技能確認) is a drive with an examiner on the license center’s course, taken only after you pass the written test with at least 45 of 50. You start with 100 points, points are deducted for mistakes, and you need 70 or more to pass (National Police Agency notice of January 8, 2026). Since October 1, 2025 the course includes a pedestrian crossing and a railway crossing, and missed signals and the way you turn are scored more strictly.

The check in brief

Who takes it: people who passed the written test (45 of 50), unless their license is exempt (check your country). (notice p. 9–10)
Where: with a real car on the course inside the center, with a driving examiner present. (government summary; notice p. 11)
Which car: a manual car for an ordinary license, or an automatic if you apply for an automatic-only license. (notice p. 10; Annex 1 §2)
Scoring: 100 minus deductions; 70 or more passes. The score sheet lists deductions of 20, 10 or 5 points per mistake, and some mistakes stop the test at once. (notice p. 10; Annex 1 §4; Annex 2)
Courses: each center sets at least 3 courses for cars, with the same tasks and different routes. (Annex 1 §5)
If you fail: you apply again; for 6 months from the day of your written test the center may let you go straight to the practical test. (notice p. 11)

What changed on October 1, 2025

New course tasks: passing a pedestrian crossing and a railway crossing. (government summary; Shimane Prefectural Police, p. 2)
Stricter scoring of signal failures (合図不履行) and wrong turning methods (右左折方法違反), "as for new drivers". (government summary)
The pass mark stayed at 70%. (government summary)

The National Police Agency revised the course standards again with its notice of January 8, 2026, applied from April 1, 2026. The tasks below and our checklist use that version.

Tasks on the course (cars)

Task	How often
Driving at a speed the examiner instructs	1 to 2 times
Curves of the outer circuit	2 or more
Stop at a designated place	1 or more
Right turn and left turn at intersections	Each 1 or more
Passing a traffic signal	1 or more
Passing a pedestrian crossing	1 or more
Passing a railway crossing	1 or more
S-curve course	1
Crank course	1
Slope course, with a stop and a start on the slope	1
Passing an obstacle	1 or more
Total distance	1,200 m or more

Source: notice, Annex 1 §1 (large, medium, semi-medium and ordinary cars). The order of the tasks and the route differ by center.

Five points the score sheet is strict about

Signal on time. For a turn, start the signal 30 m before the intersection; for a lane change, about 3 seconds before; check the mirrors first and cancel the signal when done. A signal not given, not kept on, not canceled or given wrongly is a deduction on the sheet. (教則 ch. 5 §5 1(1), (3), p. 51–52; Annex 2)
Position before you turn. Move as far left as you can before a left turn and close to the center before a right turn, then turn at slow speed. Late or missing positioning, a wide left turn or a cut right turn are deductions. (教則 ch. 5 §7 2(1)–(2), p. 56; Annex 2)
Stop fully at stop lines. At a stop sign, stop just before the stop line and give way to the crossing road. Not stopping (一時不停止) stops the test. (教則 ch. 5 §7 3(3), p. 57; Annex 2)
Railway crossings. Stop immediately before the crossing, look and listen both ways, then go across without changing gear. Not stopping (踏切不停止) stops the test. (教則 ch. 6 §1 1(1), (5), p. 64–65; Annex 2)
Pedestrian crossings. Unless it is clear that nobody is crossing, slow down so you can stop before the crossing; stop and give way to anyone crossing or about to cross. (教則 ch. 5 §3 2(2), p. 47)

教則 = the National Police Agency’s rules for road traffic (交通の方法に関する教則); page numbers are the PDF’s pages. Notice page numbers are the notice’s printed ones. Annex 2 is the score sheet in the notice of January 8, 2026; it is marked as an example, and detailed scoring follows the national driving test standards.

The practical-test checklist

Written + Practical ($39, one payment, 6 months) includes a printable checklist for the practical check: before starting, moving off, signals, left and right turns, intersections and stop lines, pedestrian and railway crossings, lane changes, speed, and stopping at the end, each line with its rule source, plus a table of what the score sheet treats as stopping the test and what it deducts. It follows the national rules and score sheet, not any center’s course, and it cannot promise a result: the examiner’s instructions on the day come first.

See the plans Take the free test

Questions and answers

What is the pass mark of the practical test?

70 of 100 points. You start with 100 and the examiner deducts points for mistakes; under 70 fails (National Police Agency notice of January 8, 2026).

When do I take the practical test?

Only after you pass the written knowledge test with at least 45 of 50, and only if your license is not exempt from the practical test.

Is the practical test on public roads?

The government summary of the review describes it as a check with a real car on the course inside the center (場内).

What changed on October 1, 2025?

Passing a pedestrian crossing and a railway crossing became course tasks, and missed signals and wrong turning methods are scored more strictly, as for new drivers. The pass mark stayed at 70%.

What happens if I fail?

You can apply again. The notice allows the center to let you go straight to the practical test, without the written test, for 6 months from the day of your written test.

Last checked: October 23, 2026. Rules and procedures can change; the license center that handles your application decides.