What Is an SPI Test?

SPI stands for “Synthetic Personality Inventory,” and it’s actually one of the many aptitude tests that are in use in Japan. The SPI is the most used and streamlined one, and some companies even have their own versions of the test that are sometimes simplified or have added sections.

The test consists of multiple-choice questions, and it was developed by the Recruit Career Co. The SPI is currently used by approximately 12,000 companies in Japan. 

It’s less common at startups, so if you join a small, growing company you probably won’t need to take an SPI test.

Specifically, the SPI test is designed to assess your reading comprehension and grasp of the Japanese/English language, your personality, and your mathematical and statistical skills.

The SPI test is made up of two main sections. 

1. The first section is designed to test your general skills, and it includes both mathematical questions and questions that test your reading comprehension. 
2. The second section is about your personality, and its aim is to assess your character, as well as how well you handle your emotions.

How SPI Tests Are Used in Japan

The SPI test is yet another metric for companies to decide whether you’re a good fit for the job. Still, it’s an important one, especially if you’re applying to a traditional company in Japan.

Even though there is an English version of the SPI test, most companies will require you to take the Japanese one, even if they promise not to base their decisions on your score. 

Types of Web Aptitude Test

Web Aptitude Tests are held on the web or online and there are different type of tests. In short, they have different contents or are held at different sites. When applying to companies, you need to research which type of web test is required by them. Different industries and job positions require different web tests.

• C-GAB (玉手箱 - Tamatebako): you have a very short amount of time to answer each question. The same type of questions are repeated.
• TG-WEB: a little more advanced than other web tests. There are chart and graph comprehension problems.
• GAB: taken in a test center assigned by the company. The number of questions is not shared beforehand, but there are time limits for each section; 25 minutes for language, 35 minutes for non-language(calculation), 30 minutes for personality test.
• CAB: used mostly in the recruitment process for engineers.

Tips & Tricks

According to the job hunting handbook from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, there are 3 main points to pay attention to when you are preparing for an aptitude test.

• Understand your current level: To understand your current level, try to take a mock test. From there, you will be able to know which part of the test you are good at or which part you need to practice more. Once you know about it, start studying from the part which needs more practice!
• Do a lot of timed practice: Because aptitude tests are strictly timed, getting used to it is the only way to be able to answer the majority of the questions within the given time.
• Starting early: Get yourself familiar with the type of tests as early as you can, because when the job-hunting period starts you will be too preoccupied with the entry sheets and resume (履歴書-rirekisho).

To find out what it’s really like to take the test, Study Kyoto interviewed Jiayi Song from Chongqing, China. She’s currently a fourth year student at Doshisha University’s Economics Department, set to graduate and begin working at a Japanese company next April.

What tests were easier for you? Which was harder?

Reading quickly was a challenge for me, especially with particular Japanese phrasing or reading comprehension questions. Maybe it was because I specialized in the sciences when I was in high school, but the math section was much easier for me.

I’m actually not very good at taking the SPI test, and even though I took it 8 times at a test center, I failed every time! There isn’t a time limit for the whole test, but rather for each individual question, so that was another difficult thing for me. The Tamatebako*1 and TG-WEB*2 were easier for me. If I studied hard, I knew I would be able to pass them, and I was actually able to.”

The Tamatebako is a test in which single test problems come with multiple questions, so if you remember the pattern, you’ll be able to answer questions with the same type of pattern. There are 8 types of questions that come with each problem (3 types for calculations, 3 types for Japanese, and 2 types for English).

The TG-WEB Test may at first appear to have many difficult problems, but it’s said that it’s easy to understand if you can memorize the example problems. The test includes image-based problems and others that aren’t featured in the SPI test, so the TG-WEB test requires its own preparation.

“The written exams given out by each company were easier than the SPI test, too. The company that offered me a job had its own test and the Tamatebako.”

What was something you strove for while you were job hunting?

“I teamed up with friends who wanted to work in the same industry as I did, so I’d be able to get as much information as possible. If there was an information session I couldn’t attend, one of my friends could go, and could share everything s/he heard with me. Sometimes I was the one who would go and listen, too.

“Getting information can be especially hard for international students, so this setup was really useful for me.

“When it came to interviews, I practiced in front of the mirror, or took videos of myself with my phone and looked over what things I needed to do better.

“I also practiced with an upperclassman who speaks really good Japanese, and tried to imitate her way of speaking.”

 

Key Takeaways

• Job hunting in Japan is challenging due to the need for multiple resumes and cover letters.
• Traditional Japanese companies often require an aptitude test, or "SPI" test, for mid-career candidates. Most companies require the Japanese version of the SPI test, even if they promise not to base their decisions on the score.
• SPI stands for "Synthetic Personality Inventory," and it is one of the many aptitude tests in Japan.
  • The SPI test assesses aspects of a candidate's personality that cannot be measured in an interview. The test assesses reading comprehension, grasp of the Japanese language, personality, and mathematical and statistical skills.
  • The SPI test is used as a preliminary elimination method to reduce the number of candidates to be interviewed.
  • The test is popular among larger, more traditional Japanese companies, but less so for modern tech companies or tech startups.
• The SPI score is usually requested in addition to the rirekisho (Japanese resume) and shokumu-keirekisho (Japanese CV document).