Failed Japan's written driving test? How to retake it
If you fail the karimen, honmen or licence conversion written test, you can sit it again on another day: you rebook, pay the test fee again, and come back. The costs and deadlines below are Tokyo's (Keishicho), where every written test is booked online in advance.
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What each retake costs in Tokyo
| Full licence, driving-school graduates | ¥1,900 test fee per attempt (the ¥2,350 licence fee is paid once, when you pass) |
|---|---|
| Full licence, direct test | ¥2,500 test fee and ¥800 test-vehicle fee per attempt |
| Provisional licence (karimen) | ¥2,950 test fee and ¥1,750 test-vehicle fee per attempt |
| Licence conversion (gaimen kirikae) | Ask the centre when you book, since the knowledge check is part of the conversion application |
Rebooking
- Reservation only. Every written test in Tokyo is booked through the Keishicho licence reservation site (運転免許手続予約サイト), which has an availability calendar. Weekdays only.
- Sessions. Assemble at 8:00 for the morning session or 11:00 for the afternoon one. The conversion knowledge check is one afternoon session a day at Fuchu and Samezu.
- Same language, same format. The test is offered in 20 languages; see taking the test in English.
- October 2026 only: driving-school graduates (certificate issued within the last year) who need their licence during October 2026 for work or family reasons can ask Keishicho's licence headquarters to book by phone between 30 September and 29 October 2026, while places last: 03-6717-3137, weekdays 9:00 to 16:30.
Deadlines to watch
- Driving-school graduation certificate: valid for one year from your final driving check. Repeated fails can run it out, and then you would need the school to reissue it or start again.
- After passing: you have one year from the aptitude test to collect the licence.
- Moving prefecture in the middle means applying again there with new documents and fees.
How to pass next time
- Read every word. The questions are true-or-false statements that turn on one word: "always", "may", "must", "immediately", "enough". Slow down on those.
- Practise at exam speed. The karimen and conversion papers are 50 questions in 30 minutes (45 to pass); the honmen is 90 statements plus 5 illustrated questions in 50 minutes (90 to pass). See the karimen format and the honmen format.
- Find your weak topic. Work through the topics you got wrong most often, not the whole rulebook again.
- Sit a full paper under the clock before you rebook: the free 50-question mock test marks you instantly with an explanation for every answer.
Not to be confused with the novice driver re-examination, which is for new licence holders who collect points in their first year; see the beginner driver mark and your first year.
Frequently asked questions
Can I retake the written driving test in Japan if I fail?
Yes. You rebook for another day and pay the test fee again. In Tokyo every written test is booked in advance through the Keishicho reservation site.
How much does it cost to retake the written test in Tokyo?
Driving-school graduates pay the ¥1,900 test fee again. Direct candidates pay ¥2,500 plus ¥800 for the test vehicle (full licence) or ¥2,950 plus ¥1,750 (provisional licence) per attempt.
Does my driving school certificate expire if I keep failing?
Yes. It is valid for one year from your final driving check at the school, so plan retakes well within that year.
What is the pass mark for the written test?
The karimen and conversion tests are 45 out of 50 in 30 minutes. The honmen test is 90 out of 100 points: 90 statements plus 5 illustrated questions in 50 minutes.
Is the novice re-examination the same as a retake?
No. The novice re-examination is for new drivers who collect points in their first year; a retake is simply sitting a written test again after failing it.
Related guides
- Take the test in English
- Karimen test format
- Honmen test format
- October 2025 rule change
- Test centres by prefecture
- Free online mock test (50 questions, 30 minutes)
- Conversion guide
- Driving in Japan on an International Driving Permit
- Getting a Japanese licence from scratch
- The My Number card driving licence
- What to do if your Japanese licence has expired
- Renewing your licence as a foreign resident
- The traffic points system and fines
- The beginner driver mark and your first year
- 10 free sample questions with answers
- All driving licence guides
Practice papers written for this exam, in English
Ten topic papers, 500 true-or-false questions with answers, explanations and a Japanese term glossary. ¥500 per paper, or ¥4,000 for all ten plus ten full 50-question mock tests. Paper 07 is free.
Get the free paper Try 10 sample questionsThis page was last checked in September 2026 against the Tokyo Metropolitan Police (Keishicho) pages on written-test booking, the ordinary and provisional licence tests, the fee schedule and the exam-age change. Rules, fees and formats are set prefecture by prefecture and change with little notice, so always confirm the current requirements with your local licence centre before you book. Independent study material; not affiliated with any prefectural police, licence centre or driving school.