KIIP's Last 2026 Pre-Assessment: Register Nov. 3–7 for 3,765 First-Come Seats; 61 Points Meets Part-Time Work Rule for Years 1–2, 81 Points Waives D-10 Points System Within 3 Years of Graduation

Registration for the Ministry of Justice's Korea Immigration & Integration Program (KIIP) 8th pre-assessment of 2026 opens at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 3 and closes at 12 midnight on Saturday, November 7. Registration is online only, first come, first served, on the test website kiiptest.org, and the quota is 3,765 seats combined across 15 test venues nationwide. The test is on Saturday, November 21, and results come out at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 4. It is the last round on this year's paper-based test (PBT) pre-assessment schedule. The fee is KRW 38,000.

What the Pre-Assessment Score Does for International Students

The pre-assessment is a level test that measures the Korean proficiency of people joining KIIP and sets their study level. Scores place test-takers at levels 0 to 5, and results are valid for 2 years from the announcement date.

For international students, this score is more than a class placement chart. In immigration review it sits in the same slot as a TOPIK level. For part-time work permission, associate-degree and bachelor's students in years 1–2 with a pre-assessment score of 61 or more are treated the same as holding TOPIK level 3 or having completed KIIP level 3, and bachelor's students in years 3–4 and graduate students with 81 or more are treated the same as TOPIK level 4 or completion of level 4. Meeting the requirement raises permitted weekday hours from 10 to 25 (from 15 to 30 for master's and doctoral students) and removes the limit on weekends and vacations. Language trainees with 41 or more are treated the same as TOPIK level 2 and can work up to 20 hours on weekdays. When changing to job-seeking (D-10) status, a person within 3 years of graduating from a Korean university who has been assigned pre-assessment level 5 (81 or more) is exempt from the points system and does not submit proof of living expenses either. Even when the points system applies, the Korean-language item gives 15 points for 81 or more, 10 points for 61 or more, and 5 points for 41 or more. For the Regional Specialized Talent (F-2-R) visa for people employed in depopulating areas, assignment to pre-assessment level 4 (61 or more) is a basic-qualification requirement equivalent to TOPIK level 3.

Those who already hold a TOPIK level can receive a level through the linkage evaluation without taking the pre-assessment. TOPIK level 1 is assigned to level 2, level 2 to level 3, level 3 to level 4, and levels 4–6 to level 5. Conversely, for international students with no TOPIK level or a low one, the pre-assessment is a way to meet the part-time work, D-10 and F-2-R requirements with a single test. The international student visa reform plan the Ministry of Justice announced on October 7 signaled that the Korean-language requirement for part-time work permission would be tightened to KIIP level 3, applying from 2028 after a 1-year grace period. The current permitted scope and the sanction standards tightened on October 30 are in the international student part-time job checklist article.

Registration: 9 a.m. November 3, Closing When Each Region's Quota Fills

Registration is accepted only at kiiptest.org. There is no in-person or postal registration. Eligible applicants are foreigners legally staying in Korea who hold an alien registration card or a domestic residence report card. Those currently taking classes at a level assigned through the pre-assessment, those for whom 6 months have not yet passed since their completion-suspension date, and those expelled and barred from participation cannot apply. The registration sequence is: access kiiptest.org → shortcut → registration waiting room → log in → select the test → select region and venue → pay the fee → check registration details. Users are automatically logged out 10 minutes after logging in, and once a region's quota fills, that region accepts no more. However, if someone cancels within the registration period, that seat can be registered for again. If the place of stay or status of stay in your personal information on the Social Integration Network (socinet.go.kr) differs from your current one, you cannot move on to the 'next step,' so update it first on My Page. If payment fails, switch the browser to Chrome or Edge or clear cookies and cache. Those who have already been assigned a level but have not taken classes, those for whom 6 months have passed since their completion-suspension date, and those participating from level 0 without a pre-assessment can retake the test to receive a new level if they wish. However, retaking voids all previous completion and attendance records, and the new level applies even if the new score is lower than the current level. If your current level already meets the requirement you need, it is safer not to retake. The registration slip is printed after the test venue and test guidance text message arrives, from 3 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 3 days before the test. To receive this message, check the contact number in your personal information in advance.

The capital-region venues are 4: Ansan, Anyang, Suwon and Yangju. You can take the test only at the venue you registered for, so choose by commuting distance. Cancellation refunds are 100% within the registration period, 50% up to 7 days after registration closes, 40% after that until 2 days before the test, and nothing from the day before the test. To cancel: My Page → My Tests → Check Registration → Cancel.

Test Day, November 21

Entry is from 12:00 to 12:30, and no one is admitted after that. The only accepted ID is the physical original of an alien registration card, passport, Korean-issued driver's license, or a certificate of application for stay permit with a photo attached. You cannot take the test with a copy, a photo of the document, a mobile ID or a student ID, and without ID the fee is not refunded either. The test consists of a written section of 50 questions in 60 minutes (48 multiple-choice: 38 Korean and 10 culture, plus 2 short-answer questions, 75 points) and an oral section of 5 questions in 10 minutes (reading, comprehension, conversation, listening and speaking, 25 points), for a total of 55 questions and 100 points. Answers are written only with the computer-readable marker pen handed out by the proctor, and in the oral test 2 examiners assess 5 test-takers together. Including waiting time it takes 3–4 hours, and you cannot go to the restroom during the test. Anyone caught cheating is removed from the room, scored 0 and barred from KIIP for 1 year. Results can be checked from 4 p.m. on December 4 on My Page at socinet.go.kr or kiiptest.org, and there is no individual notification. Once assigned a level, you must join classes at that level within 2 years; after 2 years the result becomes void and you must be assigned again.

If You Miss Registration: the Computer-Based Test (CBT)

If you missed paper-based test registration or the quota filled, there is the computer-based test (CBT) at the permanent centers in Seoul, Gwangmyeong and Daejeon. Registration for the next round, the 24th, runs from 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 5 to 12 midnight on Wednesday, November 11, and registration for a new round opens every other Thursday. The Seoul and Gwangmyeong centers run Monday to Friday and the Daejeon center Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with 4 sessions a day (entry at 9:00, 10:40, 13:10 and 14:50); the fee is the same KRW 38,000, and results come out at 4 p.m. 2 days after the test date, excluding public holidays. The centers are at 12th floor, Baeksang Building, 12 Insa-dong 7-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (02-733-8791); 3rd floor, Ace Gwangmyeong Tower, 1365 Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do (02-897-8902); and 2nd floor, 154 Jungang-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon (042-223-8791). Taking the CBT again replaces your score with the most recent one, so if you score 45 (level 3) and then retake and get 40 (level 2), you become level 2. If you are satisfied with your score, stop there.

Other tests are held the same month. The 8th comprehensive evaluation for permanent residency and naturalization takes registrations from Tuesday, November 17 to Saturday, November 21, with the test on Saturday, December 5, and the 4th intermediate evaluation, taken by those who completed level 4, takes registrations from Monday, December 7 to Wednesday, December 9, with the test on Saturday, December 19. Inquiries: Korea Immigration Foundation, 02-2643-8791 (ext. 1, weekdays 9:00–18:00).