Hate exams? You might not need IELTS. We explain which universities accept "Medium of Instruction" certificates instead.

Many students dread the IELTS exam. The good news: You can study in Japan without IELTS.

Option 1: Medium of Instruction (MOI) Certificate

• What is it? A document from your previous school/university stating that your entire education was conducted in English.
• Who accepts it? Many private universities and some language schools.
• Condition: You usually need to be from a country where English is an official language (e.g., India, Philippines, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya).

Option 2: Interview-Based Admission

• Some schools will waive the English test if you can prove your fluency during the admissions interview.

Option 3: Japanese Track

• If you are applying for a program taught in Japanese, they don't care about your English. They only care about your JLPT / EJU Japanese score.

Warning

Top-tier National Universities (Tokyo U, Kyoto U) almost always require a standardized test score (IELTS or TOEFL).

👉 University Exam Guide: EJU Exam Guide: Study in Japan After High School