# How to prepare for JFT-Basic listening

> Listening is where many JFT-Basic candidates lose the most points. How the section works, how to use your two plays, and a two-week practice routine.
- **Author**: Testmigo
- **Published**: 2026-09-19
- **Category**: Test format & prep
- **URL**: https://testmigo.com/blog/jft-basic-listening-practice

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## How the listening section works

Listening Comprehension is one of JFT-Basic's four sections, with about 12 questions on everyday audio: conversations, exchanges in shops and public places, and announcements and instructions. You press play yourself, you can hear each clip up to two times, and you cannot go back to earlier listening questions. There is no separate timer for the section; it shares the test's 60 minutes.

## Use your two plays on purpose

Before you press play, read the question and the answer options so you know what to listen for: a time, a place, a price, or what someone should do next. Use the first play to get the answer and the second to check it. Don't spend the first play just getting used to the voice. Because you can't go back, answer each question before moving on and don't leave any blank.

## What to practise

- Numbers, times, dates, prices and counters. They come up constantly and are easy to mishear.
- Station, shop and workplace announcements, including polite set phrases.
- Instructions with a sequence: first, next, after that. Questions often ask what to do next.
- Short conversations where the answer changes halfway, such as when someone corrects a time or a place.

The Japan Foundation's free Irodori course is built for this kind of everyday Japanese, and its audio is a good daily source. Pair it with timed mocks so you practise answering at test pace.

## A two-week routine

1. Day 1: take a full timed mock and note how many listening questions you got right.
2. Days 2-6: 15 minutes a day of short clips, reading the question first and allowing yourself two plays.
3. Day 7: a listening-only section under test conditions.
4. Days 8-13: focus on the question types you missed most, such as numbers or announcements.
5. Day 14: a second full mock. Compare your listening score with day 1.

Testmigo's [JFT-Basic mocks](/jft-basic) score each section, so you can see whether listening is the section holding your total below 200. If you haven't seen the full layout yet, start with the [exam format](/blog/jft-basic-exam-format).

## Common questions

### How many times can I play the audio in JFT-Basic?

Up to two times per clip. You press play yourself; the audio does not start automatically.

### Can I go back to an earlier listening question?

No. In the listening section you cannot move to previous or next questions to review them, so answer each one before moving on.

### What free materials help with JFT-Basic listening?

The Japan Foundation's Irodori coursebooks and the IRODORI Japanese Online Course, which the Japan Foundation recommends for the everyday Japanese JFT-Basic tests, plus the official sample questions.

**Sources**
- [The Japan Foundation: About the JFT-Basic (checked 19 September 2026)](https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/about/index.html)
- [The Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic FAQ](https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/e/faq/index.html)
- [Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan](https://www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/)
- [The Japan Foundation: JFT-Basic sample questions](https://www.jpf.go.jp/jft-basic/sample/q01.html)

## Related guides

- [JFT-Basic study tips: how to prepare in the time you have](https://testmigo.com/blog/jft-basic-study-tips)
- [JFT-Basic exam format: 4 sections, about 50 questions, 60 minutes](https://testmigo.com/blog/jft-basic-exam-format)
- [Why most JFT-Basic candidates in Nepal fall short, and how to fix it](https://testmigo.com/blog/jft-basic-pass-rate-nepal)

[Practise with a free JFT-Basic mock](https://testmigo.com/jft-basic)
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