The Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination: My Experience

Several years ago, I went to Japan on holiday for the first time, and fell in love with the country. I started studying the Japanese language and began to wonder what it would take for me to move there and work as a software developer.

While still at university, I had an opportunity to join a company as a junior developer, so I left school early to start my career. Over the next seven years, across two different companies, I gained valuable experience and worked my way up to a senior developer position. In my role as a full-stack developer, I’ve designed databases, developed backend systems, and created web-facing frontends. I also led the development of an application gateway project that enabled the company to transition to a service-oriented architecture.

Unfortunately, although I have a strong background in IT, I was not eligible for an Engineer visa in Japan. To receive an Engineer visa, I initially believed I needed either a university degree, or 10 years of experience in the industry. I had no degree and only seven years of experience. I thought my only options were to go back to university or work in my home country for another three years. It seemed I had no choice but to postpone my dream for quite some time.

That’s when I discovered an IT exam that makes it possible to get an Engineer visa without needing 10 years of experience or a university degree. I studied for it and passed it—in Japanese—in four months.

I’d like to share my experience, what to know before taking the exam, and some resources I used to prepare for it.

What is the exam

The Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination (基本情報技術者試験, kihon jouhou gijutsusha shiken), or FE, was created to promote cross-border job opportunities in Asia. It tests basic knowledge of various software engineering-related topics and the business side of development as well. It’s available in several Asian countries, with some offering it in English. Japan only offers it in Japanese, though. Since I was already in Japan, I decided to take on the challenge of sitting the exam in Japanese.

Required level of Japanese

The exam requires an intermediate to advanced understanding of written Japanese, including a lot of specialized vocabulary. I recommend trying a few sample questions to get a feel for the vocabulary of the exam. In addition, the exam, which lasts over three hours, really puts one’s reading stamina to the test.

What is on the exam

The exam is taken on a computer, and is divided into two parts: A and B. Part A covers a wide range of topics, requiring logical thinking and basic knowledge of software development, hardware, project management, and business management. Part B consists of questions about code written in a pseudo-language that combines Japanese with elements inspired by other well-established programming languages, followed by several questions about cybersecurity.

The exam lasts 190 minutes in total, with an optional 10-minute break between parts A and B. All questions are multiple-choice, and some questions in part B may even have up to 10 options to choose from.

Coding questions

The pseudo-language used on the exam can be a bit difficult to read at times. However, it does get easier with practice. The coding questions can be split into three types:

1. Given a piece of code, determine the output for a specific input.
2. Fill in the blank in code to achieve a specified function description.
3. Read code and input to determine how often a certain line will execute.

Cybersecurity questions

After the coding questions, there are several cybersecurity questions. These resemble the longer reading sections on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, with technical terms and excerpts from international standards (JIS Q 27001 [ISO/IEC 27001]). They often require reading multiple passages to identify the cause of security issues and their resolutions.

Exam scoring

Because the test is computerized, you receive your results immediately upon completion. To pass both parts A and B, you need a minimum of 600 out of 1000 points on each section. Failing either part results in failing the entire exam. You can retake the exam after 30 days if needed. Upon retaking the exam, please note that you must retake both parts regardless of whether you passed one part previously or not.

Pass rate

Between April 2023 and March 2024, a total of 121,611 people took the exam, with 57,278 passing, resulting in an average pass rate of 47%. The Information-Technology Promotion Agency periodically publishes these statistics.

Studying for the exam

I studied for about 2 to 4 hours each day. I started by reading textbooks and taking notes, then moved on to practicing with past exam questions. These mock exams helped me identify areas I didn’t fully understand. The textbook I used had 22 chapters, and I aimed to finish it in two months by completing three chapters per week. To help with technical vocabulary, I used an app called Anki to make flashcards. My goal was to consistently get 80% correct on the mock exams before signing up for the real exam. I’d like to share several resources that helped me pass.

Textbooks

【令和６年度】 いちばんやさしい 基本情報技術者　絶対合格の教科書＋出る順問題集

The book covers part A and has some examples for part B as well. I like the writing style. It is straight to the point and also contains tips about the exam itself. There is a section in the back that summarizes all the key points for each chapter that I reviewed in about 15 minutes per day.

Before purchasing this book, check the release date, as a newer version may be available that’s more suitable for the current exam.

情報処理教科書 出るとこだけ！基本情報技術者［科目B］第4版

This book focuses on part B. It covers coding questions from past exams and includes line-by-line explanations of the code, which is helpful for those who struggle with reading the syntax. However, I recommend trying a few coding questions from the textbook mentioned above first, as this book mainly offers drills for part B and doesn’t provide much beyond that.

YouTube

kihonzyouhou creates videos that explain the exam in detail. I particularly like the playlists, each of which covers a specific topic on the exam. The last video in each playlist summarizes all the previous ones, making it easy to review and see if you missed anything. Additionally, there are longer videos that go through a mock exam, explaining every question in both parts A and B. Watching these videos felt to me like a welcome change of pace from all that reading.

Past exam questions

The fe-siken website is fantastic for practicing past exam questions. It even has a mock exam feature that assembles exams from past questions and builds a report card to highlight subjects that need more study. After finishing the mock exam, you have the option to redo only the questions you got wrong. Nearly every answer comes with a detailed explanation to help understand why it is correct or incorrect. I highly recommend taking the time to understand each answer, as it helped me a lot.

Signing up for the exam

When you’re ready to take the exam, you can sign up and schedule the test on the CBT-S website. You’ll need a Japanese address where your certificate will be sent upon passing. Because the test is computer-based, you can take it at any test center in Japan where the FE is offered, at your convenience. The fee is 7500 yen, payable by credit card or in cash at convenience stores in Japan.

What to bring to the exam

A valid passport or identification recognized by the Japanese government (e.g., a residence card) is required. There is some math on the exam, but calculators are prohibited. Pen and paper will be provided by the test center for taking notes. I brought a water bottle and some food to eat during the break, and would recommend you do the same.

My experience taking the exam

Nervously I kept looking through the notes I’d taken over the past four months and reviewing parts of the textbook until I arrived at the test center. After receiving a short briefing at the reception, I put my bag in a locker, and was guided to a room full of computers and people taking various exams. I received a blank sheet of paper and a pen and pressed the start button.

From my practice with the mock exams, I’d learned that, to me, part A was a race against time. My strategy was to go through the exam and read each question, quickly answer the ones I felt comfortable with, and mark the rest so I could go back and answer them later. I managed to finish the exam with two minutes left on the clock. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see my score immediately after finishing part A, but I felt confident I’d passed.

During my 10-minute break, I ate some food and drank water to regain my energy. Despite feeling I’d done well, I was exhausted. Fortunately, Part B mostly consists of coding questions, which I enjoy. I got a new sheet of paper, took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and started part B.

As I went through the questions, I stayed on schedule, aiming to finish each question within four minutes to leave enough time for the cybersecurity questions. When I reached the last two cybersecurity questions, fatigue hit me, and it was hard to concentrate on the long passages. I took a few deep breaths and tried to regain my focus.

Satisfied with my answers, I clicked the finish button with only one minute left. My score appeared immediately on the screen: I’d gotten more than 600 points on each part, meaning I’d passed. It was such a relief!

Conclusion

Passing the FE enables developers without 10 years of work experience or a university degree to qualify for an Engineer visa. If your goal is to relocate and work as a software developer in Japan, and you can spend about a month in-country in order to collect the certificate, this could be a valuable opportunity.

Overall, my experience was tough yet rewarding, because I’ve learned a lot of technical jargon in Japanese, and I feel proud to have overcome this challenge.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Paul McMahon for giving me the opportunity to share my story, and to Rebecca Callahan and Scott Rothrock for reviewing the article.