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Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA)

Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination (AP)

The Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination (AP) is one category of the Information Technology Engineers Examination run by the Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA). IPA describes the target candidate as a person who has the applied knowledge and skills needed to create IT-based services, products, systems and software, and who has established a direction as an advanced IT professional. From FY2026 the examination moves to computer-based testing. The former morning paper is now the Section A exam (150 minutes, 80 four-option multiple-choice questions) and the former afternoon paper the Section B exam (150 minutes, 11 written questions of which 5 are answered). IPA states that the knowledge and skills covered, the question formats, the number of questions and the exam durations are unchanged. To pass, a candidate needs the pass mark of 60 out of 100 in both Section A and Section B. Section B pairs a compulsory information security question with a choice from questions on architecture, networks, databases, embedded and information systems development, programming, project management, service management and system auditing.

Official page

Who takes it

  • Engineers who have passed the Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination and want to move on to the next category
  • Developers and infrastructure staff with several years of practical experience who now have to explain design and operational decisions in writing
  • People aiming at the Advanced Examinations (IT Strategist, Project Management, Network, Database and others) or the Registered Information Security Specialist Examination who want to secure the Section A-1 exemption first
  • IT department staff whose company ties a qualification allowance or a promotion requirement to the Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination
  • People at systems integrators and IT subsidiaries who want to put general IT knowledge, the basis for proposals and estimates, on an organised footing

What it lets you do

  • A pass carries the right to apply, for two years from the pass, for exemption from the Section A-1 exam (formerly the Morning I exam) of the Advanced Examinations and the Registered Information Security Specialist Examination.
  • It is a category of the Information Technology Engineers Examination, a national examination, and IPA states that a pass has no expiry date and that past passes do not become invalid.
  • Because Section B is written, it tests the ability to explain in prose the reasons behind a design or a response, which multiple-choice questions alone measure poorly.
  • The syllabus reaches beyond Technology into Management and Strategy, giving a base for roles other than development: project management, service management, system auditing and business strategy.
  • From FY2026 the examination is delivered by CBT, so candidates choose a venue and a date from within the first-half and second-half test windows.

The exam

As published by Innovation Platform Agency, Japan (IPA). Anything we could not confirm is left out. Check the official page before you apply.

Questions
Section A: 80 questions set, 80 answered / Section B: 11 questions set, 5 answered
Time
Section A 150 minutes, Section B 150 minutes (in FY2026 Section A and Section B are taken in separate test windows)
Pass mark
Section A and Section B are each marked out of 100, with a pass mark of 60. A candidate passes when the score in every time segment is at or above the pass mark. Because a multi-stage selection method is used, a candidate whose Section A (morning) score falls below the pass mark fails without Section B (afternoon) being marked. The pass mark may also be changed if a difference in question difficulty is recognised in the results.
Fee
JPY 7,500 (consumption tax included)
Format
CBT. Section A is multiple choice with four options. Section B is written: question 1 on information security is compulsory, and 4 of the 10 questions numbered 2 to 11 are chosen.
Languages
Japanese
When it runs
FY2026 is delivered by CBT in two windows. First half: applications 6 October to 7 November 2026, Section A exam 28 October to 10 November 2026, Section B exam 24 November to 6 December 2026. Second half: applications 27 January to 16 February 2027, Section A exam 6 to 19 February 2027, Section B exam 3 to 15 March 2027. Results are scheduled for around February 2027 for the first half and around June 2027 for the second half.
Validity and renewal
The pass itself does not expire (IPA states that a pass has no expiry date). However, it can be used for exemption from the Section A-1 exam of the Advanced Examinations and the Registered Information Security Specialist Examination only for two years from the pass.

How hard it is

In the FY2025 spring sitting there were 38,663 candidates and 8,527 passes, a pass rate of 22.1%; in the FY2025 autumn sitting there were 44,005 candidates and 10,792 passes, a pass rate of 24.5% (IPA statistics). A multi-stage selection method is used, so a candidate whose Section A (morning) score does not reach the pass mark fails without Section B (afternoon) being marked.

How long people study

Not published by the exam body. IPA does not state an expected study time. Study guides and preparatory schools commonly cite a rough figure of about 200 to 500 hours, but that is not a figure published by the exam body.

Syllabus

  • Section A: Technology (Basic Theory, Computer System, Technology Element, Development Technology)80 questions in Section A, 1.25 points each (the number of questions per field is not published)
  • Section A: Management (Project Management, Service Management, System Audit)80 questions in Section A, 1.25 points each (the number of questions per field is not published)
  • Section A: Strategy (System Strategy, System Planning, Business Strategy Management, Technological Strategy Management, Business Industry, Corporate Activities, Legal Affairs)80 questions in Section A, 1.25 points each (the number of questions per field is not published)
  • Section B, question 1: Information security (compulsory)20 points (one compulsory question)
  • Section B, questions 2 to 11: business strategy / information strategy / strategy planning and consulting techniques, system architecture, network, database, embedded systems development, information systems development, programming (algorithms), project management, service management, system audit (choice questions)20 points each (4 chosen from 10 questions)

Our apps and books for this exam

  • Oyo Joho Gijutsusha Gozen/Gogo Taisaku

    Japanese only

    Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination (IPA): morning and afternoon practice

    This app's interface and questions are in Japanese.

    Download on the App Store

Questions people ask

Are the terms 'morning' and 'afternoon' no longer used? Can I still use the past papers I have?
From FY2026 the 'morning exam' is called the 'Section A exam' and the 'afternoon exam' the 'Section B exam'. IPA states explicitly that there is no change to the knowledge and skills covered, the question formats, the number of questions or the exam durations. Past papers can therefore be used, reading morning as Section A and afternoon as Section B.
If I fall short of the pass mark in Section A (morning), can I make it up in Section B (afternoon)?
You cannot. The examination uses a multi-stage selection method, and the examination outline provides that if the morning score does not reach the pass mark, the afternoon paper is not marked and the candidate fails.
Is the pass mark of 60 always the same every year?
The examination outline sets Section A and Section B at 100 points each with a pass mark of 60, but the same outline also states that if a difference in question difficulty is recognised in the results, the pass mark may be changed for the Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination, the Advanced Examinations and the Registered Information Security Specialist Examination.
Are Section A and Section B taken on the same day?
In FY2026 they are in separate test windows. In the first half, the Section A exam runs from 28 October to 10 November 2026 and the Section B exam from 24 November to 6 December 2026, and you choose a date and a venue within each window.
Now that it is CBT, will I know whether I passed straight after the exam?
No. The Section A score is shown on the test terminal at the end of the exam and can also be checked on My Page, but the Section B score is not shown on the terminal. Results are announced together after each test window closes, with the first-half results scheduled for around February 2027.

Sources

These are the pages the figures came from. Some are published in Japanese only, and are marked as such — we keep the original titles rather than translating them, so you can match what you find on the official site. Exam rules change; check the official page before you apply.

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