TDUQL

Civil-Service Examination Requirements, Subjects, and Schedule

This page explains the examination requirement for civil-service employment, the usual examination stages, the subjects covered, and where to find examination dates and content.

Employment requirement and examination stages

To be employed as a civil servant, you must pass a civil-service examination. Civil servants are broadly classified as national or local government employees, and positions include administrative and technical roles. In principle, the first stage consists of written examinations and the second stage consists of a personality examination. The examination may include a general knowledge test, a specialist test, and, in some cases, an essay examination.

General examination subjects

The general knowledge examination covers an aptitude area and a knowledge area. The aptitude area includes numerical reasoning and reading comprehension. The knowledge area includes natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Specialist examination subjects

For technical positions, mathematics and physics are compulsory subjects. Depending on your desired field, the examination uses a choice-answer format covering electrical engineering, electronics and information, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, architecture, or chemistry. For administrative positions, questions are drawn from law, economics, public administration, and current affairs.

Where to find examination dates and content

Examination dates and content are published on the websites of the National Personnel Authority and each local government. The published guidance advises students seeking civil-service employment to check this information early.

Official sources

The following official Tokyo Denki University materials were used to prepare this page.