Evaluation of Common Competencies for Public Service
Similar to Inspections in Private and Public Institutions
Adjustment of Pass Decision Methods
From 2027, the Korean language subject in the Grade 7 local government official open competitive examination will be replaced by the Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT). The PSAT is a test designed to assess common competencies such as logical reasoning, analytical skills, and judgment necessary for public service, aiming to select outstanding talents for public office.
On the 18th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the PSAT will be officially introduced from 2027 with a two-year grace period to verify job competency in the Grade 7 local government official open competitive examination process.
This test has already been introduced and implemented in the current Grade 7 national government official, Grade 7 security, and Grade 5 open competitive examinations. The current first-stage exam subject, Korean, has been criticized for being knowledge memorization-oriented, causing excessive burden on examinees and having low applicability in actual job duties.
With the introduction of the PSAT, the procedure and method for determining successful candidates in the Grade 7 local government official open competitive examination will also be adjusted. The current two-stage exam process, consisting of written exams (first and second subjects) and an interview, will be changed to a three-stage process: first-stage PSAT, second-stage subject written exam, and third-stage interview.
The first-stage exam will determine the number of successful candidates based on the top scorers in the PSAT within ten times the number of planned recruits, granting them the opportunity to take the second-stage subject written exam. A new regulation will also be established to exempt examinees who fail the third-stage interview from taking the first-stage PSAT the following year, thereby reducing the preparation burden for examinees. With the introduction of the PSAT, from 2027, a single PSAT attempt will allow candidates to apply not only for the Grade 7 local government official exam but also for the Grade 7 national government official exam.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety expects that the PSAT, similar to major private companies' and public institutions' job aptitude tests such as Samsung's GSAT and Korea Electric Power Corporation's National Competency Standards (NCS), will alleviate the career and exam burdens of examinees. Vice Minister Ko Gi-dong stated, "To provide administrative services with high satisfaction to the public, it is most important to have an excellent talent selection system," adding, "Through this exam subject reform, we will reduce the preparation burden and social costs for examinees while enabling competent talents to enter public service."
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