Admission Requirements for Specialised Training Colleges in Japan

Specialised training colleges providing post-secondary courses/programmes are referred to as ‘Professional Training Colleges’. These colleges provide education in a particular subject area or skill.

Admission Criteria

You are eligible for admission into Professional Training Colleges in Japan, if you have satisfied one of the following below mentioned criteria-

12 years of school education must be completed by the Candidates (In Japan or overseas)
Candidates must have passed the academic qualification examination equivalent to the completion of 12 years of schooling abroad, and must have attained the age of 18 years.
The international qualification like the French or International Baccalaureate and Abitur (Germany) must be completed by the Candidates, and he/she should have attained 18 years of age
12 years of school education at International Schools accredited by an International accrediting/evaluation authority such as ACSI, WASC or ECIS, established in Japan must be completed by the Candidate, and must have attained 18 years of age.
Students must have passed an entrance examination equivalent or higher than upper secondary, and must be above 18 years of age.

For Students having less than 12 years of school Education-

Such students must have completed a preparatory course at a recognised University, or courses at training universities/facilities, and must be above 18 years old.

Application Procedure-Local and International Students

Abide by the steps-

Step 1: Request application form from the Professional Training College

Step 2: Fill in the application form and send it along with the necessary documents to the respective Professional Training College

Step 3: After the concerned Professional Training College receives the application form and documents, screening is done based on the set criteria.

Step 4: Results are declared after thorough processing of all the application. Results are made available on the respective Professional Training College website. Check the website! Also, successful candidates will receive an email indicating the same.

Step 5: Receive the Application Acceptance email. Fill in the necessary additional documents and send them back to the Professional Training College before deadline.

Step 6: After successful completion of the Step 5, you’ll get the ‘Admission Letter’.

Step 7: International Students will get a ‘Certificate of Eligibility’ from the Ministry of Justice for a residence status. Then pay the required amount of fee. Apply for visa and look out for accommodation.

Documentation

Application form and photographs
Upper secondary school passing certificate and transcripts
Attendance Certificate at a Japanese Language Institution along with the relevant transcripts (if candidate is living in Japan)
Japanese Language proficiency certificate (for international students): JLPT and English language proficiency scores-TOEFL, or IELTS, or TOEIC scores.
Medical certificate

Entrance Exam for Professional Training College

Entrance exams test the academic abilities and skills of students- whether they are determined, in the field chosen, cope with the course chosen etc. It basically serves as a screening phase.

Subject test: Depends upon the subject area you choose.

Interview: The crucial part of the admission procedure. Know about your chosen subject, its basics, and application details well. Prepare some generic questions such as why do want to go to this college, what major you want to pursue in and why? On the interview day, be on time, spontaneity and positivity is must! Send a ‘Thank you’ after the interview to the admission office.

Essay: A short essay also acts as a deciding factor in the admission process. It is just a means to check that you can write well and it also indicates some traits of your personality.

Aptitude and Practice test: College-Specific

Japanese language proficiency exam

Japanese Language Proficiency Exam-

Candidates must satisfy any one of the following qualification to obtain admission in the Professional Training College of their choice-

Candidates must have completed Japanese Language education for over six months at an institution authorized by the Ministry of Justice
Candidates must have passed N1 or N2 level of the Japanese language proficiency test organized by Japan Educational Exchanges and Services and Japan Foundation.
Candidates must have scored over 200 points in their exam for Japanese University Admission for International Students
Candidates must have scored over 400 points in their BJT Business Japanese Proficiency Test conducted by Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation
Candidate must have completed elementary school, lower secondary and upper secondary school education in Japan for more than one year.

For details see Standardized Tests