Standard Test for Business Japanese (STBJ) is a test that has been administered since 2007 that measures not only general Japanese vocabulary, general Japanese expressions, Japanese vocabulary for business situations and Japanese expressions for business situations, but also knowledge of honorific expressions and business manners required in the business world.
Japanese for business situations differs from general Japanese or academic Japanese required for entering higher education institutions, and includes skills such as understanding instructions from bosses, using appropriate expressions depending on the situation and the person you are speaking to, using appropriate honorific language, using written and spoken language properly, understanding the gist of graphs, charts and tables, and responding on the phone.
Since STBJ measures Japanese language ability in business situations in detail, from basic to advanced levels, it is often taken by Japanese language learners who wish to work for a Japanese company, but it is also taken by Japanese language learners who wish to study abroad in Japan.
This page explains the overview of the STBJ, target, difficulty, pass rate, etc.
Overview
STBJ is a test that has been administered since 2007 that measures not only general Japanese vocabulary, general Japanese expressions, Japanese vocabulary for business situations and Japanese expressions for business situations, but also knowledge of honorific expressions and business manners required in the business world.
STBJ is organized by the Applied Japanese Language Education Association.
STBJ measures the following:
⚫︎ Knowledge of vocabulary and expressions necessary for business and the ability to use them appropriately
⚫︎ Ability to understand the meaning of various expressions used by Japanese people in business situations
⚫︎ Ability to appropriately use honorific expressions that are essential in business situations
⚫︎ Knowledge of expressions of consideration unique to Japanese people and the ability to use them appropriately
⚫︎ Knowledge of business manners and practices that are essential in business situations
STBJ test items are as follows:
⚫ Listening
⚫ Conversation
⚫ Reading
⚫ Vocabulary
The test is a multiple choice format and there are no writing or speaking tests.
Target
STBJ is aimed at people whose first language is not Japanese.
It is especially aimed at Japanese language learners who wish to work at a Japanese company or study abroad in Japan.
Test Date
STBJ is held six times a year, in February, April, June, August, October and December.
Difficulty
In STBJ, you are judged on the levels of BJ1, BJ2, BJ3, BJ4 or BJ5 depending on your score.
BJ1 is the highest level and BJ5 is the lowest level.
The difficulty for each level is as follows:
BJ1
⚫︎ Able to work in a company in Japanese
⚫︎ Able to use honorific expressions when talking to visitors
⚫︎ JLTP N1 to N2 level
BJ2
⚫︎ Able to generally work in a company in Japanese
⚫︎ Good listening ability, but some pronunciation errors
⚫︎ JLTP N2 to N3 level
BJ3
⚫︎ Working in a company in Japanese is sometimes difficult
⚫︎ Lack of accuracy in both listening and speaking skills
⚫︎ JLTP N3 to N4 level
BJ4
⚫︎ Working in a company in Japanese is quite difficult
⚫︎ Only memorized sentences are used, and application skills are poor
⚫︎ JLTP N4 to N5 level
BJ5
⚫︎ Unable to work in a company in Japanese
⚫︎ Only beginner level Japanese language knowledge
⚫︎ JLTP N5 level or below
Passing Criterion
There is no pass or fail in STBJ and your level is determined according to your score.
Your level will be determined based on your score as follows:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| BJ1 | 800 – 1000 |
| BJ2 | 650 – 799 |
| BJ3 | 450 – 649 |
| BJ4 | 250 – 449 |
| BJ5 | 0 – 249 |
Pass Rate
There is no pass or fail in STBJ and your level is determined according to your score.
The results for each test are not made public.
4,286 people took the test in 2019.
Procedure To Take the Test
The procedure to take the test is as follows:
1. Check with the administration office in the country where you will be taking the test, and confirm the date, testing site, schedule, and application method
2. Apply and pay the test fee
3. Receive your admission ticket
4. Take the test
5. Receive your test results (approximately 10 days after the test)
Testing Site
In Japan, test locations are set up and administered by organizations such as Japanese language schools, universities, vocational schools and companies.
Therefore, you will need to check with your school, university, company, etc. to find out whether the test is be held.
Overseas, the test is held regularly in the following countries and regions:
⚫︎ China
⚫︎ Vietnam
⚫︎ Sri Lanka
Additionally, the test is held by Japanese language educational institutions in the following countries and regions:
⚫︎ South Korea
⚫︎ Taiwan
⚫︎ Thailand