![[Breaking News] Japan Building Maintenance Association Opens Applications and Publishes the Test Guide for the Building Cleaning Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Test on December 18 (October 30, 2026)](https://kisaragi-office.com/immigration_journal/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/a-0129-en.png)
This is a breaking news article in which our editorial team reports only the facts, based on an announcement by a public organization. Before making any decision about a procedure, be sure to check the official announcement or consult a professional.
On October 30, 2026, the Japan Building Maintenance Association (公益社団法人全国ビルメンテナンス協会), a public interest incorporated association in Japan, announced that, following the restoration of My Page, it has begun accepting applications for the Building Cleaning Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Evaluation Test (ビルクリーニング分野特定技能2号評価試験) to be held on Friday, December 18, 2026. The application period (online application) is from 10:00 on Friday, October 30, 2026 to 17:00 on Tuesday, November 10, and the deadline for test application documents (by mail) is Tuesday, November 17 (must arrive by this date).
What the Announcement Says
The schedule the association has given is as follows. The association says that there are changes from the schedule it announced earlier.
| Item | Date and time | What the announcement says |
|---|---|---|
| Application period (online application) | 10:00 on Friday, October 30 to 17:00 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 | Apply from your My Page. According to the test guide, the deadline for paying the test fee is the same period |
| Deadline for test application documents (by mail) | Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | Must arrive by this date. The test guide calls it the “deadline for sending documents certifying practical work experience” |
| Sending of admission tickets | Friday, December 4, 2026 | Sent to everyone at once by email |
| Test date | Friday, December 18, 2026 | The test venues in both Tokyo and Osaka are still being arranged. According to the test guide, 14:00 to 17:00 |
The deadline for test application documents was “17:00 on Tuesday, November 24” in the announcement of October 20, 2026, but the announcement page of that date has also been revised to “Tuesday, November 17.”
The announcement also includes the following notes.
- People whose review has been completed will receive an email with information about their admission ticket, sent to everyone at once on December 4. No individual notice of completion will be sent.
- Even if you have applied online, if your test application documents have not arrived or the fee has not been paid, the association will not contact you and the application will be treated as canceled.
- In all of these cases, the association says it cannot deal with anything after the deadline.
Changes from Previous Tests
The association has published the test guide (11th test) and summarizes the changes from previous Specified Skilled Worker (ii) evaluation tests as follows.
- Test venue: For the Tokyo venue, the association plans to use a venue in Tokyo other than the Building Maintenance Hall (ビルメンテナンス会館). Because the venue will be decided according to the number of applicants, the association asks applicants to be sure to check the admission ticket to be sent on December 4.
- Order of the tests: From this test, the practical test will be held first, followed by the written test (previously, the written test came first, followed by the practical test). The association says there are no other changes.
- Format of the written test: The written test will use a mark sheet. The association asks applicants to bring black HB pencils, and says that mechanical pencils, ballpoint pens, and FriXion pens cannot be read on the mark sheet and cannot be scored.
The test guide lists the following items to bring on the test day: the admission ticket, the original of an identity document (residence card or passport), black HB pencils, an eraser, and a simple calculator (smartphones and other electronic devices are not allowed).
From When
Acceptance of applications began at 10:00 on Friday, October 30, 2026. The start of applications for this test had once been postponed on October 27.
Official Announcement
You can check how to apply and the test guide on the association’s announcement page.
- Japan Building Maintenance Association “【申込受付開始/受験案内公開等】特定技能2号評価試験に関する重要なお知らせ” (Applications open / Test guide published, etc. Important notice about the Specified Skilled Worker (ii) evaluation test) (October 30, 2026)
Primary Sources Referenced for This Article
- Japan Building Maintenance Association “【申込受付開始/受験案内公開等】特定技能2号評価試験に関する重要なお知らせ” (posted at 9:10 on October 30, 2026; checked the same day)
- Japan Building Maintenance Association “ビルクリーニング分野特定技能2号評価試験 第11回受験案内（2026年12月実施）” (Building Cleaning Specified Skilled Worker (ii) Evaluation Test, Test Guide for the 11th Test (held in December 2026)) (PDF, checked October 30, 2026)
- Japan Building Maintenance Association “【12月18日実施】ビルクリーニング分野特定技能2号評価試験 スケジュールのご案内” (posted October 20, 2026; checked October 30, 2026)
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
