KIIP Pre-Evaluation: How Your Score Sets Your Starting Level

The first test anyone meets after signing up for the Social Integration Program is the pre-evaluation. It is not a pass-or-fail exam — it decides where you start, and the score you get there decides how many hours you spend sitting in class.

What the pre-evaluation does — a placement test

The pre-evaluation isn't something you fail. Your score simply places you into one of six levels, 0 through 5, and you begin classes from wherever you land. This is why someone who already speaks Korean doesn't have to sit through level 0's 15 hours and level 1's 100 hours all over again.

What it covers — written and oral

The pre-evaluation has two parts, written and oral, worth 100 points combined. Doing well on the written part alone is not enough — if your oral score falls below a certain line, you start from the beginning regardless of your written score.

• Written — 50 questions (48 multiple choice + 2 short answer), 75 points
• Oral — 5 questions, 25 points. Several test-takers are evaluated together by two examiners, taking turns to show reading, comprehension, conversation, and listening-and-speaking

Your score sets your level

The 100-point total is split into five bands that decide your starting level, rising in steps of 20 points.

• Level 1 — 3 to 20 points
• Level 2 — 21 to 40 points
• Level 3 — 41 to 60 points
• Level 4 — 61 to 80 points
• Level 5 — 81 to 100 points

There is one exception. No matter how high your total is, an oral score under 3 places you at level 0. It exists so that someone who racks up points on paper but can't say a word out loud isn't placed ahead of where their spoken Korean actually is.

If you skip the pre-evaluation

You can skip applying for the pre-evaluation altogether. Then you start at level 0. That costs time if you already speak Korean, so unless you have a reason not to, sitting the pre-evaluation and starting from your assigned level is usually the faster path.

The exception — skipping it with TOPIK

If you already hold a TOPIK grade, you can skip the pre-evaluation and get your level through a linked application instead. Which level each TOPIK grade maps to is its own table — check the figure for your grade on Socinet.

One step further at 85

Score 85 or above on the pre-evaluation, and within two years of that score you can sit the permanent-residence comprehensive assessment (KIPRAT) directly, without taking level 5's 70-hour basic course. This shortcut only satisfies the basic-civic-knowledge requirement for a permanent residence application, though — it is not counted as completing KIIP. It doesn't apply if naturalization is your goal: to sit the naturalization comprehensive assessment (KINAT) you still need the full 30-hour advanced course of level 5.

Retaking it, and where to check

You can retake the pre-evaluation. It costs the fee again, and details that change often — how many retakes you get, how long you wait between them — aren't listed here. Check the current terms on Socinet (socinet.go.kr) or the Korea Immigration Foundation (kiiptest.org).

Preparing — the oral part especially

You can cram for the written part. The oral part doesn't work that way — you have to answer out loud in front of examiners, and any gap between what you know and what you can actually say shows up directly in your score. The pre-evaluation's oral questions cover different ground from a naturalization interview, but the format is the same: hear something, then answer it out loud. A little practice speaking Korean beforehand makes that format less unfamiliar.

This article is not legal advice. The question structure, scoring, score-to-level table, and retake conditions all change over time. Before applying, check the current guidance on Socinet (socinet.go.kr) or the Korea Immigration Foundation (kiiptest.org).