Grade 9 civil service exam subjects and written test format

The Grade 9 civil service written exam runs 110 minutes and carries 100 multiple-choice questions marked by OMR sheet. For the general administration track it covers five subjects: Korean language, English, Korean history, an introduction to public administration, and general administrative law. Other tracks swap in subject-specific papers but keep Korean, English and Korean history as the shared core.

What subjects does the general administration track test?

The general administration track, which draws the largest number of applicants every year, tests five subjects on one paper: Korean language, English, Korean history, introduction to public administration, and general administrative law. Each subject is worth 20 questions at present, for 100 questions total, and the whole paper is completed in a single 110-minute sitting set by the Ministry of Personnel Management (인사혁신처, MPM).

Why did the exam change from 100 to 110 minutes?

MPM extended the sitting time as part of a broader shift in how the Korean and English papers are written. The stated goal was to move both subjects away from testing rote memorisation of grammar rules and vocabulary lists toward practical, job-relevant language use, the kind of reading and writing a civil servant actually does on the job. Giving candidates ten extra minutes came alongside that change, since job-relevant reading passages tend to run longer than the isolated grammar items they replaced.

Do all Grade 9 tracks take the same five subjects?

No. Korean, English and Korean history are common to almost every track, but the remaining two subjects depend on which track a candidate applies for. Technical tracks substitute engineering or science subjects for introduction to public administration and general administrative law. Tax and customs tracks substitute tax law and related subjects. The correctional and protective services track substitutes an introduction to corrections and an outline of criminal procedure law. A candidate should always check the subject list published in the current year’s recruitment announcement for the specific track being applied to, since the list is reconfirmed every cycle.

How is the written paper scored?

Beyond the multiple-choice questions themselves, MPM sets a minimum pass mark on both the overall paper and, in most cycles, on each individual subject. That second condition matters more than it sounds: a candidate who scores well across four subjects can still fail the whole exam if one subject falls under its individual floor. This is exactly the same logic behind the written and interview ratio that decides who ultimately passes, so a strong combined score is not enough on its own if a single subject is weak.

What is changing for 2027?

From the 2027 cycle, Korean history is scheduled to move out of the scored written paper entirely and become a separate certificate requirement, satisfied through the existing Korean History Proficiency Test rather than a scored subject on exam day. To offset the reduced subject count, the remaining four subjects are set to expand from 20 to 25 questions each. This is a genuinely structural change, not a minor tweak, and it is covered in full in our explainer on the 2027 curriculum reform. A separate, longer-horizon plan would eventually move the whole exam toward a PSAT-style assessment of reasoning rather than subject knowledge; that shift is still under government study and has no confirmed date, which we cover in our PSAT explainer.

Where can I find the exam schedule for my track?

MPM publishes exact subjects, question counts and pass marks fresh every year in the national civil service recruitment plan, and the Grade 9 civil service exam page on this site tracks the confirmed dates for the current cycle. The exam countdown tool is useful once your written exam date is confirmed, since it counts down from today rather than requiring you to do the arithmetic yourself every time you check.

FAQ

How many questions are on the Grade 9 written exam? 100 questions in total, spread across five subjects for the general administration track, with 20 questions per subject under the current format.

How long is the Grade 9 written exam? 110 minutes for a single sitting covering all subjects, extended from 100 minutes when MPM revised the Korean and English papers.

Is Korean history still a scored subject? Yes, for now. From the 2027 cycle it is scheduled to move to a certificate requirement instead of a scored written subject, subject to MPM’s final announcement for that year.

Do technical and administrative tracks share any subjects? Yes. Korean, English and Korean history are common across almost every track; only the remaining two subjects change by track.

Where do I confirm the subjects for my specific track? In the current year’s MPM recruitment announcement, since the subject list is reconfirmed every cycle rather than fixed permanently.