How the practical test is scored: 100 points, 70 to pass, and the mistakes that end it

On this page

1. The mistakes that end the test (試験中止)
2. Where people lose points
3. How DriveKata scores a run
4. Frequently asked questions

The practical test for foreign-license conversion is scored by deduction (減点方式). You start with 100 points. Every fault the examiner sees takes points off, and you pass with 70 or more. That leaves room for a few small mistakes and not much else.

The test follows the national driving-test standard, 技能試験実施基準. It also lists the mistakes that end the test outright. It is a long police PDF in Japanese, so here is that part in plain English.

Source: National 技能試験実施基準, as published by the Toyama police

The mistakes that end the test (試験中止)

Some faults don't cost points. They end the test where they happen:

• Dangerous driving: hitting something hard (接触大), a wheel far off the course (脱輪大), not stopping at a set place (指定場所不停止), not stopping at the railroad crossing (踏切不停止), running a red light (信号無視), rolling far back on the hill (逆行大), driving on the wrong side (右側通行), and similar.
• The examiner had to help: they braked or steered to avoid danger.
• Not following an instruction given to run the test.
• Too many points lost: once 70 can no longer be reached, there is nothing left to score.

Where people lose points

Most lost points are procedure, not driving skill. Safety checks come up again and again on one course, and each missed one costs points. Before every turn: the mirror on that side, the signal, then the shoulder. At every stop line: a full stop behind the line, then left and right. At the railroad crossing: stop, open the window, look and listen, and cross without changing gear.

The examiner can only score what they can see. Turning your eyes isn't enough. Turn your head.

How DriveKata scores a run

DriveKata uses the same method. Every run starts at 100, faults cost points, 70 passes, and in the Full exam the big mistakes end the run. The point values are set by DriveKata for practice. The Easy exam scores only the big mistakes, so you can learn the route first.

Frequently asked questions

How many points do I need to pass the practical test?+

70 out of 100. You start at 100 and the examiner deducts points for each fault.

What ends the test immediately?+

Dangerous driving (for example hitting something hard, a wheel far off the course, not stopping where you must or at the railroad crossing, or running a red light). Also the examiner having to brake or steer, not following an instruction, and losing so many points that 70 can no longer be reached.

Is the scoring the same as for a Japanese license?+

The conversion test follows the national driving-test standard. Since October 2025, failing to signal and improper turning are scored as strictly as on a new-license test.