Until recently, a JFT-Basic result below 200 told you almost nothing. You had failed, and that was the whole message.
Since August 2026 the official notification also names a CEFR level — A1, A2.1 or A2.2 — and that turns a failed attempt into usable information. If you are retaking, this is the single most useful change to the test in years.
The bands
| Score | Level | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 200–250 | A2.2 (A2) | Pass. Accepted as proof of Japanese ability for the SSW visa. |
| 175–199 | A2.1 | Near miss. Usually one weak section, not a weak foundation. |
| 145–174 | A1 | The basics are in place; exam-level vocabulary and listening are not. |
| Below 145 | Not assessed | No level is shown. |
The score itself still runs from 10 to 250, and it is a scaled score — the Japan Foundation adjusts for differences in difficulty between test versions using a statistical method called equating, so 200 means the same thing whichever month you sat it. You cannot get an easy paper.
Only A2.2 is a pass
Worth saying plainly, because the new levels have created a genuine misunderstanding: A1 and A2.1 are not partial passes. They are descriptions of a score that did not reach 200.
They do not qualify you for the Specified Skilled Worker visa. They do not carry over to a future attempt. Nothing about the 200-point requirement changed in August 2026 — only the amount of feedback you get about missing it.
What the levels are actually good for
Deciding whether to rebook, and when
This is the real value.
- A2.1 (175–199). You are close. In practice this is one section under-performing rather than a general shortfall, and six to eight focused weeks is a realistic gap to close. Book the retake.
- A1 (145–174). You are not one push away. Something structural is missing — usually vocabulary breadth or the ability to process spoken Japanese at natural speed. Booking a date four weeks out here means paying a second fee to be told the same thing. Give it three months.
- Below 145. Start with the foundations rather than with mock tests. Test-taking technique cannot substitute for not knowing the words.
Telling an employer something true
An A2.1 result is not a qualification, and you should not present it as one. But when an agency or employer asks where your Japanese is, “A2.1 on the JFT-Basic scale” is a precise, verifiable answer, and it is better than “nearly passed”.
What the levels do not tell you
They do not tell you which section failed. The notification gives you a total and a band, not a breakdown. That is a real limitation, and it is why your own timed mock results matter: they are the only section-by-section evidence you will ever have.
If you know you scored A2.1 but not why, take a full-length timed test and read the section breakdown. Two of those in the same week will tell you more about what to fix than the official notification can.
Where this leaves you
JFT-Basic has no section minimum — only the total counts — so a weak section can be carried by a strong one. That is covered in detail in what 200 points actually means, and it is the fact that should shape your last four weeks of study.
If you have just received an A2.1 and want a straight answer about how long the gap takes to close, book a free class and ask a teacher directly. It is a fifteen-minute conversation that regularly saves people a test fee.