The Secret of the Oldest 64-Year-Old Perfect TOEIC Scorer: "Take the Test at a University"

Challenge to Graduate from Graduate School... Oldest Perfect Scorer
Advice on Memorizing Examples, Native Pronunciation, and Choosing Test Centers

"I studied intensively and took the test, and I scored 985 points. So I thought, 'Since I scored 985, why not challenge myself for a perfect score of 990?'"

Jeong Yun-seon (64), an ordinary grandmother in her 60s with two granddaughters, recently made headlines by achieving a perfect score on the TOEIC. According to Daegu MBC on the 5th, Jeong, a housewife living in Dong-gu, Daegu, scored a perfect 990 on the 478th TOEIC test held on December 25 last year. She is known to be the oldest perfect scorer among those holding valid TOEIC scores as of last month.

The appearance of Jeong Yun-seon (64), who recently made headlines for achieving a perfect score on the TOEIC.
[Photo by Daegu MBC YouTube screen capture]

Jeong first encountered TOEIC during her time living in the United States. She recalled, "When I first went to the U.S., I couldn't understand any English at all, and I was too intimidated to even try speaking. I had to study English for daily life, so I started studying TOEIC. Everything I needed in English was in the TOEIC books." She added, "Studying TOEIC gave me confidence in English," but also noted, "As a housewife, I didn't have many opportunities to use English."

The reason Jeong recently took the TOEIC test was to graduate from graduate school. She explained, "I enrolled in a cyber graduate school, and to graduate, I had to either take an internal exam or submit a certified English test score. Since I had taken TOEIC before, I decided to use that and studied. Then I scored 985 about four times."

TOEIC is a certified English test designed to evaluate practical English proficiency for non-native speakers, widely used for admission and job seeking. According to the employment platform JobKorea, the average TOEIC score of new employees at large companies in the first half of last year was 846 points, and perfect scores are rare.

"Studied until the workbook was worn out... Prefer university test centers with less noise"

The appearance of a TOEIC test workbook.

When asked about the secret to her perfect TOEIC score, Jeong answered, "I focused on the basics." She said, "I studied vocabulary books so thoroughly that I memorized entire example sentences. Knowing just the words isn't enough; you have to understand the sentences, so I studied grammar until my workbook was worn out." She advised, "The important thing is to always study example sentences along with vocabulary to understand their usage and nuances."

TOEIC consists of 200 questions, half of which are LC (Listening Comprehension). Jeong emphasized, "The sound made by native speakers is important." She said, "No matter how well you know the meaning of a word, if your remembered pronunciation is wrong, you can't use it anywhere, you can't speak it, and you can't understand native speakers. It's crucial to get used to listening to the native speaker's MP3 recordings included in the vocabulary books."

She also shared tips on 'choosing the test center.' Jeong recommended university test centers, saying, "Time management and test center selection are important when taking the test." She explained, "I took tests in middle school and high school, but university test centers are really good. The desks are spacious, the speakers are very loud and clear, and most importantly, you don't have to wait long for the restroom."

She added, "When listening, even the smallest noise can break your concentration. Middle and high schools are often located in alleys or busy areas, whereas universities are often in quieter places. Choosing a place with less noise seems important."

Jeong said, "TOEIC is something I am grateful for," adding, "Because of TOEIC, I was able to move beyond the role of a housewife in Korea and engage in volunteer work, talent donation, and lectures." She expressed her desire to create enjoyable English study content on her 'TOEIC Perfect Score Grandma' channel in the future.

She said, "These days, children study English in English kindergartens or academies using American storybooks or American textbooks. If given the opportunity, I want to teach English using our traditional Korean folktales and develop related programs for these children."