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How to register for the Specified Skilled Worker truck exam, step by step

Exam applications are accepted only through the exam's dedicated website. Below are the eligibility rules, the steps in order and what to prepare before exam day. Dates, fees and venues change by session, so always check the official portal.

Last updated: 2026-10-07

At a glance

17+years old on the exam day
1application site: the dedicated ClassNK exam website
7steps from checking eligibility to saving the confirmation
10 yearspass certificate validity from the exam date

Who can sit the exam

According to the MLIT exam guideline, a candidate must meet two conditions on the exam day: be 17 or older, and hold a valid motor vehicle driving licence issued in Japan or abroad. If you take the exam in Japan you also need lawful residence status.

Do not confuse this with the requirements for working. According to the Immigration Services Agency page for the automobile transport sector, to work as a truck driver under Specified Skilled Worker status you also need a Class 1 driving licence (第一種運転免許) and Japanese at JFT-Basic or JLPT N4 or higher. Those relate to applying for the status, not to booking the exam.

The 7 registration steps

Check your eligibility. You are 17 or older, your licence is valid through the exam day, and your residence status is lawful.
Open the official ClassNK portal. Applications are accepted only through this dedicated website.
Choose the exam. Automobile transport field, 自動車運送業分野特定技能１号評価試験, truck category (トラック). Do not pick bus or taxi by mistake.
Choose a session, area and format that the portal is offering. Each session has its own CBT or paper format.
Enter your personal details and documents accurately. Your name must match the ID you bring on exam day.
Pay the exam fee as the portal instructs.
Save the confirmation and your examinee number. Take a screenshot or print them, you will need them on the day.

Fees, schedules and venues are decided by MLIT and ClassNK for each session. This page deliberately lists no figures or dates, so take that information only from the official portal.

Before exam day

Valid photo ID and your registration confirmation.
Know the route to the venue, allow for travel time and arrive early for check-in and the CBT briefing.
Do not bring study materials, phones or recording devices into restricted areas, and follow the invigilator.
Review the part-by-part pass rule: 18/30 in theory and 12/20 in practical.

After the exam

Results are announced through the exam system. Candidates who pass receive a pass certificate valid for 10 years from the exam date. You still need an accepting employer and the residence-status procedure afterwards. Passing does not guarantee that status.

Practise while you wait

Get used to the 50-question, 80-minute CBT format in Tokutei Transport: the first 3 exams are free, with furigana and translation. See free truck mock exams, learn about the exam structure and read the study tips. The app also has a registration guide with the same information.

Sources checked: the MLIT exam implementation guideline (December 2024 edition), the Immigration Services Agency page for the automobile transport sector and the ClassNK portal. Rules can change, so check the latest version at these sources.

FAQ

Where do I register for the truck exam?

Applications are accepted only through the exam's dedicated website, the ClassNK portal (sswt-portal.classnk.or.jp). Choose the automobile transport field and then the truck category (トラック).

Who is eligible to take the exam?

On the exam day you must be 17 or older and hold a valid motor vehicle driving licence, issued in Japan or abroad.

How much is the fee and when are the exams?

Fees, schedules and venues change by session and are announced by MLIT and ClassNK. This page does not list figures to avoid errors. Check the registration portal.

Do I need a Class 1 licence and N4 to sit the exam?

Those are requirements for working under this status, according to the Immigration Services Agency page, not requirements to register for the exam. Exam eligibility is age and a valid licence. The ClassNK portal is the final authority.

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