The 7th BL Sommelier Exam has been announced! “Bookstore Clerk Hana” takes the test again!
Sandias Co., Ltd. Press release: September 19, 2025 To Members of the Press The 7th BL Sommelier Exam has been announced! “Bookstore Clerk Hana” will also be taking the test again! Written exam starts at 9 PM on October 5th! Anyone can participate for free! The 7th BL Sommelier Exam will be held on Chilchil, a commercial BL review site operated by Sandias Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hiroshi Ide; hereinafter referred to as “the Company”). The written exam will be held online starting at 9:00 PM on October 5th.
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The extremely challenging exam, with an average pass rate of approximately 1.4%, “BL Sommelier Certification,” will be held again this year! The BL Sommelier Certification Exam is rumored to be the most difficult in Japan. Every year, it’s a major autumn event where many BL fans put their love and knowledge to the test. The written exam for the “7th BL Sommelier Certification Exam” will be held online from 9:00 PM on Sunday, October 5th. With the aim of simultaneously measuring the breadth and depth of BL knowledge, the test focuses on a wide range of BL works and general BL knowledge, with a focus on works released after 2015! In addition to knowledge of popular works such as BL Award nominees and winners, questions will also be asked about “BL Kanji Questions” that test kanji ability unique to commercial BL, as well as questions about BL works that are popular on social media, trends, and live-action works. ▶Look at past questions Every year, we hear people say, “I wonder if I’m good enough to take the exam with my level of knowledge…”… ／ The written exam is open to everyone! No registration required! You can take it!! !!! !!! ! ＼ Anyone can take the written exam for free, so please consider it! If you’re wondering, “What is a BL sommelier?” or “Do they actually work in this field?”, please take a look at this article: here. You can read the experiences of a BL sommelier currently working at real events. Exam Date and Time: Sunday, October 5th, 9:00 PM – 9:30 PM *30 minutes *When the exam starts, click here to access the exam venue. *Please note that some ChilChil features will be unavailable from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM. Those who pass the written exam will be eligible to take the practical exam to be held in late October. Please note that if you are not a registered member, you will not be able to take the practical exam even if you pass the written exam. ■Exam Content Written Exam Multiple choice questions Practical Exam Those who pass the written exam will recommend works that match the monitor user’s preferences (comics only) ↓ Monitor users will actually read the recommended works and receive a score based on their satisfaction Only those who meet the standards in both the written and practical exams will be awarded the “BL Sommelier” certification ※Monitors for the practical exam will be recruited at a later date. ※During the written exam, you will be asked whether you would like to take the practical exam, and only those who wish to do so will be able to take the exam. Please note that those who do not take the practical exam will not be awarded the BL Sommelier certification. ■Exam Dates Written Exam Sunday, October 5th, 2025, 9:00pm – 9:30pm Practical Exam Saturday, October 25th, 2025 – Sunday, October 26th, 2025 *The practical exam is only open to those who have passed the written exam and wish to take the practical exam ■Eligibility Written exam: Anyone can take the exam Practical exam: Prior registration as a “Chilchiru” member is required *Registration is free ■Exam Scope Questions Scope Popular works released since 2015, and works nominated and awarded in past BL awards. Questions will also include trending BL topics that are popular on social media, as well as ancient masterpieces. Eligible Works Comics, novels, CDs, and video works ■About the Written Exam Time Limit: 30 minutes Score: 100 points Current bookstore influencer “Bookstore Clerk Hana” also takes the test again! A familiar face on TikTok and YouTube, BL otaku influencer Bookstore Clerk Hana will be taking the BL Sommelier Certification Exam again this year! ※For an exclusive interview with bookseller Hana (conducted in 2023), please click here Please take a look at the message we received from Hana. “I’ve taken the test twice in the past and failed, but this third time I’ll give it my all and claim the title of BL Sommelier!” Thank you for your support! We are looking for practical exam monitors! If you’re not taking the exam but would like someone to be your BL sommelier, we’re also looking for test participants! BL sommelier candidates taking the practical exam will recommend BL that suits your needs. Simply read two or more of the recommended works and provide feedback. We’ll also be entering a lucky draw to win gift certificates! 1 person: ¥5,000 gift certificate 5 people: ¥2,000 gift certificate 10 people: ¥500 gift certificate If you’re looking for a BL setting you want to read but can’t seem to find, or if you’re looking to discover a great work you’ve never seen before, please come join us! *Eligible for the lottery is limited to those who have read and provided feedback on two or more unread works recommended by the examinee. Please note that those who do not provide feedback will not be eligible for the lottery. ＜Monitor application requirements＞ Monitor Recruitment Period From Friday, September 19, 2025 *Applications will close once capacity is reached. Details On Monday, October 27, BL Sommelier Certification candidates will send monitors a list of recommended works based on their survey. Please be sure to read at least two of the recommended works you have not read yet and provide feedback to the test-taker by Monday, November 3 (national holiday). Important Notes (Please Read) *Please be sure to read the recommended works before providing feedback. Feedback left unread will be invalid. *We ask that monitors cover the costs associated with providing recommended works. *Recommended works will only be comics. Recommendations for other media are not accepted. *When providing feedback to test takers, please base your evaluation on the information declared in the pre-test questionnaire. Please be sure to declare any settings that you are weak at, and if there are any undeclared settings that you find difficult, we would appreciate it if you could exclude those settings from the evaluation. *Those taking this year’s practical exam will not be able to participate in the monitors. *Those who have been certified as BL Sommeliers or Associate BL Sommeliers in past tests are asked to refrain from participating as monitors. To apply as a monitorClick here Applicants will be contacted shortly or will be provided with details on our website.
