The Kaigo skills test (介護技能評価試験): structure and examples

Updated 19 October 2026

The skills test has 45 questions in 60 minutes: 40 theory questions and 5 practical questions based on pictures. You pass with 60% of the total (27 of 45). The biggest area is 生活支援技術 with 20 questions.

45questions, one of four
60minutes
20生活支援技術 questions, the biggest area
27correct to pass (60%)

Structure of the skills test

Part	Questions
介護の基本 – Basics of care	10
こころとからだのしくみ – Mind and body	6
コミュニケーション技術 – Communication skills	4
生活支援技術 – Daily living support skills	20
Practical, picture-based (実技)	5
Total: 60 minutes, pass at 60%	45

What each area asks

介護の基本: the basic ideas of care such as respecting the person's choices, supporting independence, privacy and confidentiality, infection control, safety and how to speak to older people.
こころとからだのしくみ: how older bodies change, dementia, illnesses and warning signs, sleep.
コミュニケーション技術: listening, talking with people who have trouble hearing or seeing, responding to people with dementia.
生活支援技術: walking, wheelchairs, transfers, meals, bathing, toileting, diaper changes, dressing, oral care, preventing pressure ulcers and the worker's own posture.
Practical (5 questions): look at a picture or situation and choose the right action, for example finding someone who has fallen or checking before a bed-to-wheelchair transfer.

Take a timed Kaigo practice test and see right away which answers were wrong and why.

Try it free now

The first 3 tests of each part are free, with furigana and translations. Opens in your browser, no account needed.

Examples from the app's practice tests

These three questions come from skills test 1 in the app, with furigana and translations. The correct answer is in bold.

Basics of care

介護かいごの基本的きほんてきな考かんがえ方かたとして、最もっとも適切てきせつなものを1つ選えらびなさい。

Choose the ONE most appropriate basic idea of care.

家族かぞくの意見いけんだけで決きめる。 – Decide only by what the family says.
利用者りようしゃの自己決定じこけっていを尊重そんちょうする。 – Respect the care recipient's own decisions.
介護職員かいごしょくいんの都合つごうを優先ゆうせんする。 – Put the care worker's convenience first.
自分じぶんでできることも、すべて介護職員かいごしょくいんが行おこなう。 – The care worker does everything, even what the person can do.

Answer 2. Care puts the person's own wishes and decisions first, not the staff's convenience or only the family's opinion.

Daily living support

誤嚥ごえんを防ふせぐための食事しょくじの姿勢しせいとして、最もっとも適切てきせつなものを1つ選えらびなさい。

Choose the ONE most appropriate eating posture to prevent aspiration.

いすに深ふかく座すわり、あごを少すこし引ひく。 – Sit well back in the chair with the chin slightly tucked.
いすに浅あさく座すわり、背せもたれに寄よりかかる。 – Sit on the edge of the chair and lean back.
ベッドに平たいらに寝ねたまま食たべる。 – Eat lying flat in bed.
あごを上あげて、上うえを向むく。 – Raise the chin and look up.

Answer 1. A tucked chin keeps food out of the airway. Feet flat on the floor, leaning slightly forward, is best.

Practical (picture-based)

ベッドから車くるまいすへの移乗いじょうの前まえに、車くるまいすで確認かくにんすることとして最もっとも適切てきせつなものを1つ選えらびなさい。

Before a transfer from bed to wheelchair, choose the ONE most appropriate thing to check on the wheelchair.

ブレーキを外はずしておく。 – Release the brakes.
ブレーキをかけ、フットサポートを上あげておく。 – Put the brakes on and raise the footrests.
タイヤの空気くうきは確認かくにんしなくてよい。 – No need to check tyre pressure.
フットサポートを下おろしたままにする。 – Leave the footrests down.

Answer 2. Without brakes the wheelchair rolls and the person falls. Lowered footrests catch the feet. Tyre pressure affects braking too.

How to study for the skills test

Give the most time to 生活支援技術, which is almost half the questions.
Learn the affected and unaffected side rules for dressing, stairs and wheelchair placement.
In situation questions, put safety, checking the person and reporting first.
Study specialist words on the Kaigo vocabulary page.

The app has 20 skills tests of 45 questions, timed at 60 minutes; the first 3 are free. For the Japanese test see the Kaigo Japanese test.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the skills test?

45 in 60 minutes: 40 theory questions (10 + 6 + 4 + 20) and 5 practical picture questions.

Which area has the most questions?

生活支援技術 (daily living support skills) with 20 questions.

Do I perform care in the practical part?

No. The practical part is on the computer: look at a picture or situation and choose the right action.

Is there a minimum per area?

No. You pass with 60% of the total, which is 27 of 45.