Driving Test
The driving test — start at 100, keep 70
This is not a test of smooth driving. You start with 100 points. Points come off as you go. Keep 70 and you pass. The notice says what costs points and what ends the test.
You pass with 70 points or more out of 100. Points come off in 20s, 10s and 5s, and every time you repeat a mistake. 21 acts end the test at once. There are 11 set tasks, and a crosswalk was added in October 2025. The route is 1,200 meters or more, and the center has 3 or more routes. You drive the center's car. You cannot bring your own.
How the marking works
"3 Marking standard: marking follows the standard for the driving exam."
"4 Standard for pass or fail: 70 points or more out of 100 counts as no problem."
The driving exam standard, parts 10 and 11, says points come off for listed items, that marking is per occurrence, and that the score is out of 100.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start | 100 points |
| Pass | Keep 70 or more — so you can lose 30 |
| Sizes | 20, 10 and 5 points |
| Counting | Per occurrence. The same mistake twice costs twice |
Twenty points twice is forty. That puts you under 70. Small 5-point errors also add up fast.
The 11 tasks and how many times
Annex 1 of the notice sets the tasks. This is the list for a normal car license.
| Task | Times |
|---|---|
| Main road and circuit driving at a set speed | 1 or 2 |
| Circuit curve | 2 or more |
| Full stop at a marked place | 1 or more |
| Junctions, turning right and turning left | 1 or more each |
| Passing a traffic light | 1 or more |
| Passing a crosswalk | 1 or more (added October 2025) |
| Crossing a railway | 1 or more |
| S-shaped course | 1 |
| Crank course | 1 |
| Slope, with a stop and a start | 1 |
| Passing an obstacle | 1 or more |
Where it says "1 or more", it happens at least once. The S-shape, the crank and the slope come once each. None of them is ever left out.
The 21 acts that end the test
These do not cost points. They end the test on the spot. They are listed in part 12 of the driving exam standard, for the closed course.
| Type | Act |
|---|---|
| Car control | Large roll-back / cannot start / cannot reach the set speed / stopping distance too long / running out of control / falling over / cannot get through / a wheel far off the edge |
| Contact and lane | Heavy contact / driving on the right side / entering a safety zone / blocking the car behind |
| Traffic rules | Running a red light / cutting in front of another road user / crossing where it is banned / not stopping at a marked place / driving too close / not stopping at a railway / illegal overtaking / pushing in |
| General | Failure in the duty of safe driving |
If the wheels do not come to a full stop, it counts as no stop. At a railway you may also be watched for stopping, opening your window, and listening. People with years of driving in Japan fail here.
Four ways the test is stopped
The 21 above
"where the examiner worked the brake or the wheel to avoid danger", "where the examiner gave a spoken instruction in place of that", and "where a driver assist system worked to avoid danger and moved the accelerator, brake or wheel"
Stopped as soon as keeping 70 becomes impossible
Where you did not do what the examiner said
The second one covers "a driver assist system worked". If the test car has automatic braking, the test ends the moment it fires. It does not read as "the car saved me". It reads as "danger was recorded".
The route — 1,200 meters and 3 layouts
| License | Distance |
|---|---|
| Normal, semi-medium, medium, large | 1,200 meters or more |
| Motorcycles and towing | 800 meters or more |
| Large special | 500 meters or more |
"Set 3 or more routes for the large, medium, semi-medium and normal licenses, with the same level of tasks and a different order of travel."
The Gifu police write that "one route out of several is decided on the day". You do not know your route in advance. Some centers hand out or display a map. Ask at the desk when you arrive.
You drive the center's car
| License | Car you drive |
|---|---|
| Normal | A manual normal car |
| Normal, automatic only | An automatic normal car |
| Semi-medium | An automatic semi-medium car and a manual normal car |
| Medium | An automatic medium car and a manual normal car |
| Large | A manual large car |
The notice has no line about bringing a car. Article 24, paragraph 12 of the Rules has none either. The text says you use "a car provided or named by the Public Safety Commission". The car you know well is not an option.
The notice covers an applicant who wants a lower license, or one with a condition. The driving part is then done for that license. So if you ask for automatic only, you drive an automatic car. If you are not used to a manual car, asking for automatic only from the start gives you a better chance. You can lift the condition later.
What got stricter in October 2025
"Add tasks such as passing a crosswalk, and, as for a new license, make the marking for missing signals and for wrong turning methods stricter."
- Passing a crosswalk is now a task. Check for people on foot, and stop if anyone is there
- Missing signals — where and when you put the indicator on is watched. 30 meters before a turn, 3 seconds before a lane change
- Wrong turning method — for a left turn, move to the left edge first. For a right turn, move to the center and pass just inside the middle of the junction. Drivers in Japan skip this every day
What is marked here is driving the way a driving school teaches it. That is not how the roads actually work. Which way you turn your head, the order you check the mirrors, how close you move to the edge — all the parts people skip are watched here.
Taking a wrong turn costs no points
Under the notice, a wrong route costs no points. You go forward, take the nearest main road or circuit, and come back. Your driving on the way back is still marked.
So do not panic when you go wrong. Backing up in a hurry or turning the wheel hard is what costs points. Come back calmly, going forward, and the wrong turn itself costs nothing.
If you back up because you went wrong, it may count as a roll-back. "Large roll-back" is one of the 21 acts that end the test. If you go wrong, keep going forward.
On the day itself, ask where you lost points. Ask while your interpreter is still with you. → On the day