Japanese EPA Nurse Exam Pass Rate: Indonesia Decreases, Vietnam Consistently Above 80 Percent

The nurse pass rate for Indonesians in Japan’s national exam has been decreasing since 2022, from 63.8 percent to 22.2% in 2023 and 36.5% in 2024. In contrast, Vietnamese nurse pass rates have been consistently high, above 80%. The Japanese government believes that the recruitment process needs to be evaluated for Indonesia to send more prepared and qualified candidates. According to data from Japan’s Ministry of Health, the pass rate for Indonesian nurses dropped from 63.8% in 2022 to 22.2% in 2023 and around 36.5% in 2024. Meanwhile, Vietnamese nurses have been performing exceptionally well with an average pass rate above 80%, even reaching 96.1% in 2022. In 2024, out of 491 first-time exam participants, 205 Indonesian nurses passed, a rate of 41.8%. For retest participants, only 32 out of 158 passed, a rate of 20.3%. Compared to their previous pass rates of 36.5% in 2020, 27.2% in 2021, and a jump to 63.8% in 2022, the Indonesian pass rates have been fluctuating.