The KIIP placement test (사전평가, "pre-assessment") is a 70-minute Korean test that decides which KIIP stage you start in. It has a written part (50 questions, 60 minutes, 75 points) and a speaking part (5 questions, 10 minutes, 25 points). Your total out of 100 places you in stage 0 to 5. The fee is 38,000 won, the result is valid for two years, and you can take it on paper (on set Saturdays) or on a computer at a CBT center in Seoul, Gwangmyeong or Daejeon.
New to KIIP itself? Read our KIIP guide for foreigners in Korea first. This article is only about the placement test.
Who can take it
According to the Korea Immigration and Integration Foundation (한국이민재단), which runs the KIIP tests on kiiptest.org:
- - Foreigners legally staying in Korea with an alien registration card or a residence card for overseas Koreans (거소신고증).
- - Holders of the short-term C-3-8 visa (overseas Korean visit) while their stay is valid — but they can only start classes after alien registration.
- - Naturalized citizens within 3 years of getting Korean nationality.
You cannot apply if you are already studying in a stage you got from a placement test, if fewer than 6 months have passed since your participation was suspended, or if you were expelled from the program. If your stay has expired and you did not apply for an extension or change, you can't take the test either.
Retaking: if you were placed before but did not start classes, are in stage 0, or meet other conditions, you can take the test again. Be careful — your previous hours and attendance are cancelled, and the new result counts even if it is lower.
What is on the test
| Part | Questions | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written | 50 (38 multiple choice, 10 culture, 2 short answer) | 60 min | 75 (1.5 each) |
| Speaking | 5 (reading aloud, comprehension, conversation, listen and speak) | 10 min | 25 (5 each) |
| Total | 55 | 70 min | 100 |
- - The written part checks your Korean — vocabulary, grammar and understanding of short texts — plus basic knowledge of Korean culture and society (the 10 culture questions). The 2 short-answer questions are written by hand (paper) or typed (computer).
- - The speaking part is an interview: two examiners assess five test-takers at the same time. You read a short text aloud, answer questions about it, and have a short conversation.
Plan for a long day: the foundation warns that waiting for the speaking part can stretch the whole test to 3–4 hours.
Score table: which stage you get
| Score | Stage | Course |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | 0 | Basics (Hangul) |
| 3–20 | 1 | Beginner 1 |
| 21–40 | 2 | Beginner 2 |
| 41–60 | 3 | Intermediate 1 |
| 61–80 | 4 | Intermediate 2 |
| 81–100 | 5 | Understanding Korean Society |
Decimals are dropped. ⚠️ If you score under 3 points on the speaking part, you are placed in stage 0 regardless of your written score — so don't skip the interview, and speak even if you are nervous.
Two more rules worth knowing:
- - The result is valid for 2 years from the result date.
- - With 85 points or more, you can take the permanent-residency final assessment within those 2 years without taking classes. If you pass, it counts as meeting the basic-knowledge requirement for permanent residency — not as completing KIIP. Completion benefits (for example, the naturalization interview waiver) need the classes.
Some visas care about your exact stage. For the E-7-4 skilled worker visa, for example, a placement score that puts you in stage 3 (41+) meets the Korean requirement, and higher stages earn more points. See TOPIK vs KIIP vs EPS-TOPIK for how KIIP stages compare with TOPIK levels.
Paper (PBT) or computer (CBT)?
Both cost 38,000 won (VAT included) and use the same score table.
Paper test (PBT) — run by the Ministry of Justice at universities around the country, 8 times in 2026, always on a Saturday. The remaining 2026 date:
| Round | Application | Test day | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | Tue, Nov 3 – Sat, Nov 7, 2026 | Sat, Nov 21, 2026 | Fri, Dec 4, 2026 |
Seats are limited per region and go on a first-come basis. Check in from 12:00; you must be in your seat by 12:30 — no entry after that. The 2027 dates will be in the foundation's yearly schedule notice (the 2026 one was posted in December 2025).
Computer test (CBT) — runs all year at three centers:
- - Seoul — Insadong, Jongno-gu (weekdays)
- - Gwangmyeong — Hajan-ro, Gwangmyeong (weekdays)
- - Daejeon — Jungang-ro, Jung-gu (placement tests at weekends as well)
Applications open every second Thursday at 9:00 and close the following Wednesday at midnight, for test days about two weeks later. For example, the 23rd round of 2026 took applications Thu, Oct 22 – Wed, Oct 28 for tests on Nov 2–15, and the 24th round opens Thu, Nov 5 – Wed, Nov 11. Each session holds about 25–30 people, so popular days fill fast. You can only sit the test at the center and date you booked. Arrive at least 20 minutes before your session.
On the CBT, multiple-choice answers are clicked on screen and short answers are typed on a Korean keyboard — practice typing Hangul if you have never done it. People who need special accommodation (for example, a disability) must apply for the PBT; the CBT can't offer it.
Results: PBT results come out about two weeks later at 16:00 (13 days in most rounds); CBT results come two working days after the test at 16:00. You check them on kiiptest.org or socinet.go.kr — there is no individual notice.
How to apply, step by step
- Sign up at socinet.go.kr (사회통합정보망, the Social Integration Information Network).
- Open 단계배정 (stage assignment) and choose 사전평가 (placement by pre-assessment). Other options are starting from stage 0, or placement through linkage (연계) with other records — see the socinet manual for who qualifies.
- The apply button takes you to kiiptest.org. Log in, choose the test (PBT or CBT placement), then the region and venue (and for CBT the date and session).
- Pay 38,000 won and check your booking under My Page.
- For PBT, the admission slip and venue details come about 3 days before the test (by text message, then print from the site).
Common problems the foundation lists: if the site won't let you go to the next step, update your stay information on socinet (My Page → member details → address / visa status). If payment fails, try another browser (Chrome, Edge) or clear cookies and cache.
Refunds
| When you cancel | PBT | CBT |
|---|---|---|
| During the application period | 100% | 100% |
| After the deadline | 50% (until 7 days after the deadline) | 50% (until 9 days before your test) |
| Later | 40% (until 2 days before the test) | 40% (8–7 days before your test) |
| 1 day before / test day | No refund | No refund |
Cancel on kiiptest.org under My Page → 나의 평가 → booking → cancel. Because CBT refunds count back from your test date, booking a test less than a week away means you lose the 50% window.
What to bring on test day
- - Accepted ID (original only): alien registration card, Korean resident registration card, passport, Korean driver's license, or a stay permit confirmation with a photo.
- - Not accepted: copies, photos of your ID, mobile ID, student cards.
- - No ID = no test and no refund.
- - Phones, smartwatches and other devices are collected. Cheating means a zero, cancelled KIIP records and a one-year ban.
How to prepare
- - Decide your target stage. If you need stage 3 for a visa, aim for 41+ with a margin.
- - Study by stage. The KIIP textbooks (한국어와 한국문화 basic, beginner 1–2, intermediate 1–2) follow the stages. If you can understand the dialogues and grammar of a book comfortably, you are probably ready for the stage after it.
- - Don't ignore culture. 10 written questions are about Korean culture and daily life — public services, holidays, customs.
- - Practice speaking out loud. Read short texts aloud and answer simple questions about them in full sentences — your speaking score decides whether you can leave stage 0 at all.
- - For the CBT, practice typing Korean for the short answers.
Practice before you book
On TOPIKly you can practice with KIIP textbook unit questions for every stage — vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening — and see which stage's material you can already handle. Open the KIIP practice units.
Sources: Korea Immigration and Integration Foundation — kiiptest.org pre-assessment guide, registration guide, test-day guide, CBT notices (Jun 30, 2026; Oct 19, 2026) · Ministry of Justice, "2026 KIIP assessment schedule" (Dec 2025) · Ministry of Justice — KIIP · socinet.go.kr. Rules and dates change — check the latest notice on kiiptest.org before you apply.