SSW Nursing Care, Food Service, and Food Manufacturing Exam Guide

The SSW skills evaluation tests are not generic aptitude tests — each one is industry-specific, ministry-designed, and tests the exact competencies you will use on the job in Japan. Passing requires knowing the format, the topic weighting, and the types of questions you will face. Here is what you need to know for the three highest-demand sectors: nursing care, food service, and food manufacturing, followed by shorter guides to construction, industrial manufacturing, and agriculture.

How SSW Skills Tests Work Generally

All SSW skills evaluation tests follow a similar structure:

• Computer-based testing (CBT) through Prometric (except construction and building cleaning)
• Mix of multiple-choice written questions and image-based practical questions
• Tests are in Japanese with translations available in English, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and other languages depending on sector
• Passing is required to proceed to the COE application — there is no alternative route

If you fail, you must wait 45 days before retaking. Plan accordingly.

SSW Nursing Care Exam (Kaigo)

The nursing care exam has two components: a Skills Evaluation and a Japanese Language Evaluation specific to caregiving.

Skills Evaluation (60 minutes)

• 45 questions total
• Topics and approximate weighting:
  • Mechanism of Mind and Body: 6 questions (anatomy relevant to caregiving, paralysis types, cognitive decline)
  • Skills for Daily Assistance: 20 questions (bathing, dressing, eating, transferring patients)
  • Communication Techniques: questions on interacting with patients who have cognitive or physical impairments
  • Safety and Emergency Response: questions on infection control, fall prevention, emergency protocols
• Image-based questions ask you to look at a scenario (a patient in a specific position, a wheelchair setup) and identify the correct action

Example question type: "A patient has right-side paralysis. When dressing them in a shirt, which arm do you dress first?" (Answer: the affected side, dressed first for tops, undressed last.) This practical knowledge is what separates prepared candidates from unprepared ones.

Japanese Language Evaluation for Nursing Care (30 minutes)

• 15 questions focused on caregiving vocabulary
• Key vocabulary tested includes: kansetsu (joints), fuku (clothing), shokuji (meals), nyuyoku (bathing), haiben (bowel movement), seiketsu (hygiene), kaigo (caregiving)
• Questions test whether you can understand instructions, respond to patients, and read simple care charts

Study strategy for nursing care:

• Download the official MHLW study materials from mhlw.go.jp — they publish a full study text with diagrams
• Focus on position and transfer techniques (especially for patients with unilateral paralysis)
• Memorize the 50–100 core caregiving vocabulary terms — the language evaluation overlaps heavily with what you will use on the job
• Practice with image-based scenarios, not just text

Note on sector quota: As of 2026, nursing care is one of the largest SSW sectors. Unlike food service (which had its COE suspended in April 2026), nursing care has significant remaining capacity.

SSW Food Service Exam

The food service SSW exam covers knowledge needed for restaurant kitchen and front-of-house operations in Japan.

Format:

• Computer-based exam through Prometric
• 40 questions, approximately 60 minutes
• Written knowledge questions, no separate practical component

Topics covered:

• Food safety and hygiene: HACCP principles, temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, food poisoning causes and prevention
• Kitchen operations: mise en place, cooking techniques, equipment handling, cleaning procedures
• Customer service fundamentals: Japanese restaurant service standards, allergen awareness, order taking
• Workplace safety: fire prevention, knife safety, slip and fall prevention

HACCP emphasis: Japanese food service requires workers to understand Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points — which parts of food preparation carry the highest contamination risk and how to control them. Expect 8–12 questions on hygiene management principles.

Important 2026 note: The ISA suspended COE applications for Food Service SSW Type 1 in April 2026 because the sector was approaching its five-year cap of 50,000 workers. Passing the food service exam does not guarantee you will be able to get a COE — check ssw.go.jp for the current suspension status before registering for this exam.

Study strategy for food service:

• Study HACCP basics — these appear consistently across multiple question clusters
• Review Japanese food safety law requirements (minimum cooking temperatures, storage rules)
• Focus on vocabulary for kitchen equipment and hygiene procedures

SSW Food and Beverage Manufacturing Exam

Food manufacturing is distinct from food service — it covers factory production of packaged food and drink, not restaurant cooking.

Format:

• 70-minute CBT exam
• 40 questions total: 30 academic/written + 10 practical (image-based)
• No returning to the written section once you have moved to the practical section

Topics covered:

• General hygiene management: HACCP again, but specifically for factory settings — clean rooms, production line sanitation, personal hygiene (hair nets, gloves, shoe covers)
• Food production processes: receiving raw materials, processing, packaging, quality control checks
• Labeling requirements: ingredient listing, allergen marking, expiry dating
• Equipment operation: basic use and cleaning of food processing machinery
• Waste management and environmental rules

2026 update: Seafood processing was fully integrated into the food manufacturing exam scope in 2026. If you are targeting a seafood processing role, expect questions on handling raw fish, chilling requirements, and filleting safety.

Study strategy for food manufacturing:

• The HACCP content overlaps with food service — if you have studied for one, you have a head start on the other
• Pay close attention to factory-specific hygiene rules: the contamination risks in a production line are different from a restaurant kitchen
• Practice the 10 practical questions by reviewing images of factory setups and identifying hygiene violations

SSW Construction Exam

The construction SSW exam is managed by JAC (Japan Association for Construction Human Resources), not Prometric, at jac-skill.or.jp/en/exam/

Format: Written test plus practical skills demonstration (varies by sub-field — civil engineering, scaffolding, roofing, tunneling each have specific tests)

Topics covered: Safety standards (crucial — Japan's construction industry has strict safety regulations), material handling, basic structural knowledge, equipment operation

Construction has one of the lowest exam fees (approximately ¥1,000). It is also one of the sectors with significant SSW Type 2 availability, making it a viable long-term career path in Japan.

SSW Industrial Manufacturing Exam

The industrial manufacturing sector exam underwent a major overhaul in July 2026, adding seven new categories including furniture manufacturing, rubber product manufacturing, and electronic component assembly.

Format: 40-minute written exam followed by a 40-minute practical exam. You cannot return to the written section once the practical starts.

The exam covers: machining, welding, casting, electrical and electronic assembly, quality control, and workplace safety standards.

SSW Agriculture Exam

The agriculture SSW exam covers crop cultivation, livestock management, and post-harvest processing.

Topics: Soil management, irrigation, pest control, harvesting techniques, cold chain basics for produce, livestock feeding and health monitoring.

Agricultural roles in Japan are often seasonal and location-specific — test your target employer's agricultural calendar against Japan's growing seasons before committing to this sector.

Regardless of which sector you are targeting, the Japan Specified Skilled Worker Visa Guide includes a complete breakdown of the COE application requirements, employer verification tools, and what mandatory support you are legally entitled to receive after passing your exam and landing a job in Japan.

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