Digital Kodomo BASE Certification Exam Launches August 1 -- A Certification Exam That Measures Kids' Ability to Use AI Wisely and Safely

NPO Digital Kodomo BASE (Ota City, Tokyo; President: Tomoyuki Urushidani; "the organization") will officially launch the Digital Kodomo BASE Certification Exam, an online exam for children, on August 1, 2026. The exam measures both the ability to use AI wisely and safely, and the technical fundamentals needed to run, connect, and protect PCs and networks -- across four exam tracks and a graded ladder from Level 5 to Level 1. Group-based testing through schools, classrooms, and children's support organizations is the standard format, with individual online testing also available. Scoring is automated, and fees are planned to start at 1,500 yen for Level 5. Families receiving laptops through the organization's PC Bank program and households on school financial aid qualify for free or half-price exams.

Background

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry projects a shortfall of 3.4 million workers capable of putting AI and robotics to use by 2040 (Revised Employment Structure Projection for 2040). At the same time, generative AI, social media, and online games have become part of children's everyday lives -- and the gap between merely "being able to use" these tools and "using them wisely and safely" keeps widening, both academically and in terms of safety.

Most existing exams for children focus on rote programming knowledge or typing -- the mechanics of operation. Few third-party standards certify the abilities that daily life in the AI era actually demands: judging the limits of an AI's answers, protecting personal information, or safely connecting a hand-me-down PC to the internet. Through years of free IT education and laptop donations, the organization saw the need for a way to certify what children can do after they've been taught and after they've received a computer -- and built this exam to fill it.

On July 4, 2026, a trial version of the exam was held at Omori 3rd Junior High School as part of the community event "Digital Junior Day 2026 Summer." Nearly 50 participants, from elementary schoolers to adults, took part, and 12 children who took on the trial received refurbished laptops (event report).

Exam Overview

The Digital Kodomo BASE Certification Exam (https://exam.digitalkodomo.jp/) is built on two pillars -- using and judging AI (Pillar A), and running, connecting, and protecting digital infrastructure (Pillar B) -- across four tracks.

Levels run from Level 5 (introductory; roughly lower-to-middle elementary) up to Level 1 (professional; adults). At launch, Levels 5 through 3 are available, with Levels 2 and 1 to follow. There are no age or grade restrictions, and candidates climb the ladder from Level 5 -- no skipping; each level requires the previous level's pass number. Successful candidates receive a certificate and a "CN-" format certification number they can list on school application documents and resumes.

The exam is taken primarily in groups -- through schools, classrooms, and children's support organizations -- with individual online testing also available. Questions are multiple-choice, and scoring and results are fully automated. Planned fees are as follows:

Key Features

1. A pass/fail design with minimum bars on safety and ethicsBeyond the overall passing score, domains related to safety (safe use of AI, protecting personal information, network security) and online ethics (consideration for others, the line one must not cross as a person) each carry their own minimum bar. If these fall short of the bar, a candidate does not pass even with a sufficient total score. Modeled on the "prohibited choices" of Japan's national medical exam -- where selecting an option that endangers a patient means you fail no matter how high your total score -- the exam is designed never to certify "capable but careless, or crossing a line that matters as a person" use. In the Information Literacy track in particular, falling short in the online-ethics domain means you do not pass.
2. Two pillars, four tracks: AI literacy and technical fundamentalsThe exam separately evaluates the ability to use AI safely and see through misinformation (AI literacy, information literacy) and the ability to run, connect, and protect PCs and networks (PC/Linux, networking) -- durable skills that outlast any single tool or trend.
3. Group-based testing is standard, with online testing also availableThe exam is designed to be taken primarily in groups -- at schools, classrooms, events, and children's support organizations -- so children can take it together at a venue. Individual online testing is also available, so it can be taken from a home PC anywhere in Japan or overseas. Scoring is automated: results appear immediately after the exam, broken down by domain, so candidates can see exactly where they are strong and where to focus next.
4. Fee waivers built inFamilies receiving laptops through the PC Bank program and households on school financial aid take the exam free or at half price. The principle that money should never decide access to learning -- or to proof of learning -- is built into the fee structure itself.
5. Grounded in the organization's free education and PC donation workQuestions draw on real situations from the organization's activities, such as safely connecting a donated refurbished PC to the internet. Candidates can prepare using the organization's free learning sites, including Kodomo Study Lab, Kids' IT Lab, and Learn AI & Digital Literacy with Manga. For those who find self-study difficult, instructor-led training courses (see below) are also available.

Training Courses (Instructor-Led Prep)

Beyond self-study, the organization also plans to offer instructor-led "training courses." Group lessons at schools and classrooms are the standard format, with online group lessons and one-on-one instruction by professional instructors also available. All include the official textbook and the exam fee, with no enrollment fee, and candidates can sit the exam on completion. As with exam fees, PC Bank recipient families and households on school financial aid qualify for fee waivers on course fees.

What's Next

The organization will roll out Level 2 (advanced; roughly high school) and Level 1 (professional), and begin accepting group exams (group rates from 10 candidates) for schools, classrooms, and children's support organizations. It will also continue running trial versions at community events and pairing the exam with refurbished-laptop giveaways for top performers -- using certification as motivation to learn.