“What score do you need to pass the unified exam?” is probably one of the first things anyone sitting it wants to know. The answer, up front: the passing score is not officially published. This article sets out what can actually be confirmed from primary sources such as the FY2026 Examination Handbook, and how to treat the “70% written, 75% practical” figure that circulates among people preparing for it.
The passing score is not officially published
Japan’s National Unified Examination for Sign Language Interpreters (Shuwa Tsūyakusha Zenkoku Tōitsu Shiken) is written by the National Training Center for Sign Language Interpretation, a social welfare corporation, and administered by prefecture-level organisations serving deaf and hard-of-hearing people. The numerical pass mark for this exam is not published.
Check the FY2026 (Reiwa 8) Examination Handbook that the administering bodies publish and you will find the exam date, the content of each paper, and when results are sent — but no statement of the score required to pass. Results reach candidates by individual notification.
You will find pages online stating a specific figure as the pass mark. No official document contains one. Rather than taking an unsourced number at face value, it is worth starting from what can actually be confirmed.
What can be confirmed officially (FY2026)
Here is what the primary sources — the Examination Handbook and related material published by the administering bodies — state about the FY2026 exam.
| Item | FY2026 |
|---|---|
| Exam date | Saturday 5 December 2026 |
| Applications | Open from Saturday 1 August 2026. Where and by when you apply differs by prefecture (Kyoto, for example, requires arrival by 17:00 on Friday 18 September) |
| Written paper | 100 minutes (foundational knowledge for sign-language interpreting, plus Japanese language) |
| Practical paper | Interpreting in context, both from spoken Japanese and from sign language (based on roughly four minutes of video) |
| Results | Notified by the end of March 2027 (Reiwa 9) |
| Passing score | Not stated (not officially published) |
Eligibility, required documents and fees also vary by administering body. Always confirm against the latest Examination Handbook published by the organisation in your own prefecture.
To plan your study backwards from the exam date, the countdown and checklist below may help.
Countdown to exam day, and a checklist
How long is left until the FY2026 exam? The checklist is saved in your browser, so you can use it to keep track of how your preparation is going.
Where “70% written, 75% practical” comes from
Among people preparing for the exam, and in accounts written by those who have passed it, you will often hear that roughly 70% on the written paper and roughly 75% on the practical is the mark to aim for. Our own five-year analysis of question trends has cited that level as a study target too.
What matters is that this is not an officially announced figure. It is useful for planning. But studying to sit just above a supposed borderline — “I got 14 right, so I’m fine” — leaves no room for a year that turns out harder, or for differences in how marks are allocated.
How to use the figure — treat “70% and 75%” as the floor of your study target, and build a margin above it by covering the whole textbook and turning the Japanese-language section into reliable marks. Prepare on the assumption that one or two questions could decide the outcome.
The national pass rate isn’t published either — the data that is
As with the passing score, the national pass rate for the unified exam is not officially published. Results go to candidates individually, and the rest is handled by each prefecture’s administering body.
There is one related figure that is published. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare releases annual results for the Sign Language Interpreter Certification Examination — a different qualification.
| Published data (Interpreter Certification Exam) | 36th exam (FY2025) |
|---|---|
| Candidates | 1,113 |
| Passes | 125 |
| Pass rate | 11.2% |
Please read this carefully — the Interpreter Certification Examination is a separate, ministerially certified qualification that sits beyond the unified exam. The two differ greatly in difficulty, so 11.2% cannot be read as an indication of the unified exam’s pass rate. It is offered only as published data from the same field. Our complete guide explains how the two qualifications differ.
How to approach an exam with no visible line
With no published numerical standard, the reliable approach is not to aim at a borderline but to build the level of competence that would clear the bar in any year. Three things are worth doing.
1. Get used to the format using official past-paper material — the material published by the National Training Center for Sign Language Interpretation lets you experience the actual format and volume, which is the place to start.
2. Know how the questions are changing — recent papers ask less for memorised law and more for understanding of concepts such as social work and interpreting ethics. Our five-year comparison and analysis of recurring themes give the overall picture.
3. Make the Japanese-language section a source of marks — this is the area where study translates most directly into score. Build up four-character idioms, honorifics and homophones steadily.
To test yourself, there is also a quick quiz on the unified exam that runs in the browser (in Japanese).
📱 Shunsoku Master: Unified Interpreter Exam edition (in development)
We are building a study app focused on the written paper (foundational knowledge and Japanese language). Planned release: during 2026, on Google Play.
Frequently asked questions
Q. So what score do I actually need?
A. It is not published. “70% written, 75% practical” is a figure that circulates among people preparing for the exam, not an official one. A study plan that aims somewhat above it is the realistic approach.
Q. Are results posted online?
A. The FY2026 Examination Handbook states that results are notified to candidates by the end of March 2027. There is no nationwide online announcement.
Q. When is the application deadline?
A. Applications open on Saturday 1 August 2026, but the deadline is set by each prefecture’s administering body. In Kyoto, for example, applications must arrive by 17:00 on Friday 18 September. Always check the guidance for your own prefecture.
Q. Where can I get past papers?
A. The National Training Center for Sign Language Interpretation publishes official past-paper material. Exam questions are copyrighted works, so we recommend using the official material.
Sources
This article is based on the following primary sources (checked 31 July 2026). All are in Japanese.
- National Unified Examination for Sign Language Interpreters — FY2026 Examination Handbook, Kyoto Prefecture administering body
- National Training Center for Sign Language Interpretation
- Results of the 36th (FY2025) Sign Language Interpreter Certification Examination — Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Where this article states that something is not published — the passing score, the pass rate — that reflects the absence of any such statement in the sources above as of 31 July 2026. For the latest position, please check the official announcements.
Summary
Neither the passing score nor the national pass rate for Japan’s National Unified Examination for Sign Language Interpreters is officially published. What can be confirmed for FY2026 is the framework: the exam falls on Saturday 5 December, applications open on Saturday 1 August, and results are notified by the end of March 2027.
“70% written, 75% practical” works as a study target, but since it is not an official figure, building competence with a margin is a surer route than aiming at a borderline.
We hope this article helps as you plan your preparation.