In Two Years, 9th Grade Civil Service Exam Reforms... Determined Exam Candidates Say "Next Year Is the Last"

9th Grade Exam Changes to Focus on Job Competency
Exam Candidates "Increased Burden for Next Year, Must Pass"

When the government announced that from 2025, the 9th-grade civil service exam's Korean and English test questions would shift from memorization-based to assessing thinking skills and practical abilities, civil service exam candidates were thrown into confusion.

Around 1 p.m. on the 21st, in an alley of the Noryangjin academy district in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Civil service exam candidates who have finished their lunch are returning to their academies.
Photo by Taewon Choi skking@

On the 20th, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that it would promote a 'shift in the test question framework' for the national and local 9th-grade civil service exams. The main point is to change the current 9th-grade civil service exam Korean and English subjects, which have been primarily knowledge memorization-based, to focus on job competency starting in 2025. To evaluate job-related skills on-site, the Korean subject will verify basic Korean language skills, comprehension, reasoning, and critical thinking. In the English subject, vocabulary and grammar will be reduced, and questions will use practical materials and formats such as emails and notices. However, to reduce the burden on current examinees, the existing test framework will be maintained until next year.

With the news that the current exam format will be maintained only until next year, tension is rising among civil service exam candidates currently preparing. Moon (26, male), a third-year candidate met in the Noryangjin academy district in Seoul on the 21st, said, "If I fail the exam next year, I will quit studying." Kang (22, female), a first-year candidate, also said, "Since the test framework will change from the year after next, the pressure for next year's exam has increased," adding, "It is said that the usual preparation period for the 9th-grade civil service exam is about two years. Since next year will be my second year, I really want to pass."

Other candidates preparing for different job series did not let their guard down either. Kang (26, male), preparing for the police officer exam, said, "It seems there will be changes in the police officer exam as well," adding, "I feel I need to pass the exam quickly while the current system is maintained." Lee (25, female), preparing for the education administration exam, said, "Since the Ministry of Personnel Management also handles the education administration exam questions, it seems there will be similar effects," adding, "Like all candidates, I just want to pass next year."

Experts positively evaluated the Ministry of Personnel Management's change in the test question framework but suggested that measures to minimize candidate confusion and ensure a smooth transition are necessary. Professor Im Myeong-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology said, "When exams like the bar exam disappeared, changes were made gradually over time, but this change in the test question framework is proceeding relatively quickly, so candidates inevitably feel anxious and practically consider next year's exam as the last." Professor Nam Jae-geol of Dankook University's Department of Public Administration said, "To minimize candidate confusion, more detailed information about the new test format should be provided as soon as possible."