Will the Grade 9 civil service exam switch to PSAT?

The government has announced an intention to eventually move the Grade 9 exam toward the Public Service Aptitude Test, or PSAT, a comprehensive reasoning assessment already used for the Grade 5 and national Grade 7 exams. As of the announcement reported by Korea’s official policy briefing service (정책브리핑, korea.kr), the plan for Grade 9 is at a research and consultation stage, with an adoption proposal expected after that work, and no confirmed exam-year date yet.

What is PSAT and who already takes it?

PSAT, 공직적격성평가 in Korean, tests language comprehension, data interpretation and situational judgement rather than memorised subject knowledge. It is already used for the Grade 5 exam, Korea’s higher civil service entry exam, and for the national Grade 7 exam. It has not, to date, applied to the Grade 9 exam, which still uses the five-subject multiple-choice written paper described in our explainer on Grade 9 exam subjects.

Is Grade 9 actually switching to PSAT?

Not yet, and not on a confirmed date. Korea’s official policy briefing service reported that the government decided to convert the Grade 9 exam from a knowledge and memorisation format toward PSAT-style comprehensive reasoning, but described this as a plan to be worked out through a research service and stakeholder consultation over the following year, with an adoption proposal to follow afterward. That is a meaningfully earlier stage than a locked-in reform with a fixed year, and it is a separate matter from the Korean-history-to-certificate change confirmed for 2027, which is covered in our explainer on the 2027 curriculum reform. Candidates preparing now should not plan around a PSAT-format Grade 9 exam appearing on a specific near-term date until MPM issues a confirmed announcement.

Is local Grade 7 also adopting PSAT?

Yes, on a firmer timeline than Grade 9. Korean policy briefing reporting confirms that from 2027, local (지방직) Grade 7 recruitment will replace its Korean-language subject with a PSAT-style component, following the national Grade 7 exam, which already uses full PSAT. That distinction, Grade 7’s PSAT adoption being confirmed for 2027 while Grade 9’s PSAT adoption remains at a study stage, is worth keeping straight since the two are often conflated in casual discussion. See our comparison of Grade 9 and Grade 7 for how the two exams differ more broadly.

Why would the government want to change Grade 9’s format at all?

The stated rationale is the same one behind the Korean and English paper changes already implemented: moving the exam away from testing rote memorisation toward practical reasoning and job-relevant comprehension is described as better matching the actual work of an entry-level civil servant. Whether or not PSAT specifically becomes the vehicle for that on Grade 9, the underlying direction, less memorisation, more applied reasoning, is already visible in how MPM revised the Korean and English subjects and extended the written exam from 100 to 110 minutes.

What should I do if I am preparing for Grade 9 right now?

Prepare for the exam format that is actually confirmed for the cycle you are sitting, which today still means the five-subject written paper, not a PSAT-style test. Check MPM’s recruitment announcement each cycle rather than assuming a reform has taken effect, and revisit the Grade 9 exam page on this site, which tracks confirmed dates and subjects as MPM publishes them.

FAQ

Does the Grade 9 exam currently use PSAT? No. As of the current cycle, Grade 9 uses a five-subject multiple-choice written paper, not PSAT.

Which civil service exams already use PSAT? Grade 5 and the national Grade 7 exam already use PSAT. Local Grade 7 is set to adopt a PSAT-style component from 2027.

Is there a confirmed year for Grade 9 to switch to PSAT? No. Government reporting describes a research and consultation stage followed by an adoption proposal, without a confirmed exam-year date.

Is the PSAT plan the same as the 2027 Korean history change? No, these are separate reforms. The Korean-history-to-certificate change is confirmed for 2027; the PSAT shift for Grade 9 is still under study.

Should I prepare differently because of the PSAT plan? Not until MPM confirms a format change for a specific exam year; prepare for the currently confirmed written format for the cycle you are actually sitting.