If you have experienced a job search in Japan, you might have heard this word, “Web (Online) Test”. Test, probably no one like this word, but since Japan is one of the test-loving countries, you’ll often meet situations to take tests in Japan.

What is a “Web (Online) Test” and why do we need to take it?

Web (Online) Test is an online aptitude test for job applicants, and currently most Japanese companies make applicants take it as a part of recruitment activity. Why do they have to sit the exam? Basically, there are two purposes to carry out this test; first, companies check whether the applicant really fits the company or not. If the person doesn’t fit the corporate culture, he or she can’t leverage their strong points and waste their ability. On the other hand, if the applicant doesn’t have enough skills, it’ll be difficult to play a role. Companies use the exam to avoid such situations. Secondly, HR personnel use the result of the test during the interviews to know deeper about the person. HR personnel are of course human, therefore, sometimes it is difficult to judge the applicants’ character objectively. Using this test makes it possible to understand the candidates’ characters.

SPI

The most famous and well know used Web (Online) Test is called SPI. This test is composed of ability test and personality test. In detail, ability test is divided into two sections; the Japanese section and the mathematics section (plus, some companies assign English test). The difficulty of this test is about the level of junior high school education, but surprisingly, it’s not so easy. This ability exam is carried out to estimate whether the applicant can understand the meaning of questions, think logically, and choose the correct answers. The personality test is held to find out the person’s way of thinking and way of behavior.

It’s all in Japanese, but if you are interested, please click here and check how the exam is like.

How to get ready for the SPI?

In terms of personality test, the only thing you have to do is to answer the questions honestly. That means you don’t have to prepare anything for it. However, you must keep in mind not to choose answers which doesn’t fit you. Even if you want to show yourself in a good way, do try to be honest! Regarding the ability test, study using textbooks or app is the most general method. As mentioned, the difficulty of this part is junior high school education level. Sounds not so tough, but it is said that 30 ~ 60 hours will be needed to study. In the Japanese section, you’ll meet some sort of questions such as word usage or reading. If you’re not so good at Japanese, it’s better to start preparing as soon as possible. OR, getting a high score on the mathematics part is one of the strategies.

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To get a job offer, every applicant has to pass this test. Especially to foreigners, this progress could be a big difficulty. However, please don’t forget that companies hold this test in order to know more about you, not to judge you.

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