사회통합프로그램(KIIP) 단계와 평가 완전 정리: 사전평가·중간평가·종합평가

English

KIIP explained: levels, the placement test, the mid-test and the final tests

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · compared against 9 official sources opened that day

The Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP, 사회통합프로그램) is the Ministry of Justice course in which foreign residents learn Korean and learn about Korean society, level by level. Your KIIP level and test results are used directly in permanent residence and naturalization reviews and in the F-2-7 points system, so it pays to know exactly which test you take, when, and what a pass gives you. We rechecked everything below against the official pages on 20 October 2026.

What the programme is

The Ministry of Justice has run KIIP since 2009 to help immigrants build the basic knowledge they need to settle in Korea: the Korean language and culture, how Korean society works, and constitutional values. According to the ministry, completing the programme brings advantages in visa issuance, changes of status, permanent residence and naturalization. Classes run at institutions across the country, with evening and weekend classes and live online classes for people who cannot attend in person, for example because of pregnancy or disability. Part of the tuition, which used to be free, has been charged since 1 January 2025; check the current amounts when you register.

Levels and hours

Levels 0 to 4 teach Korean language and culture: level 0 takes 15 hours and levels 1 to 4 take 100 hours each. Level 5 covers Korean society, law and history: 70 hours of the basic course followed by 30 hours of the advanced course. Not everyone starts at level 0, because the placement test decides your starting level. If your goal is permanent residence, the basic part of level 5 is the benchmark; for naturalization it is the full level 5. These hours come from an operating institution's published course page, and a reform of the programme has been reported, so confirm on the registration site before you sign up.

The placement test (사전평가)

Legal residents with a residence card or a domestic residence report card can take it, as can naturalized citizens within three years of naturalization. It has 55 items in 70 minutes for 100 points: 50 written items (60 minutes, 75 points) and 5 oral items (10 minutes, 25 points). Scores are rounded down and placed as follows: 0–2 points to level 0, 3–20 to level 1, 21–40 to level 2, 41–60 to level 3, 61–80 to level 4 and 81–100 to level 5. Watch the special rule: an oral score under 3 puts you in level 0 whatever your written score. Results are valid for two years.

A score of 85 or more lets you sit the residence-track final test within those two years without attending classes. A pass that way meets the basic-knowledge requirement for permanent residence but does not count as completing the course. If you retake the placement test while already attending, your earlier hours and completions are cancelled and the new level applies even if it is lower.

The mid-test (중간평가)

You can take it within two years of finishing level 4, or after approval for the linked intermediate course. It has 35 items in 60 minutes: 28 multiple-choice items worth 70 points, a writing task worth 5 points (up to 100 characters) and 5 oral items worth 25 points. A score of 60 or more is a pass, and passing moves you to level 5. Paper-test results appear 13 days after the test from 16:00; computer-test results appear two working days later from 16:00.

The final tests: residence track and naturalization track

Both final tests have 45 items in 70 minutes: 36 multiple-choice items (65 points), one combined writing task of up to 200 characters (10 points) and 5 oral items (25 points). The pass mark is 60. The residence track is open to people who finished the 70-hour basic course or scored 85 or more on the placement test, and it is on paper only. The naturalization track is open to people who finished all of level 5 or who applied for naturalization on or after 1 March 2018 (they must sit it within a year of applying), and it is offered on paper and on computer.

The biggest practical difference is the naturalization interview. Only people who completed all of level 5 and passed the naturalization-track test are exempt from it. If you pass without completing the course, you still face the interview.

How KIIP connects to residence, naturalization and points

Naturalization applicants must take the final test within a year of applying. Minors, people aged 60 or over, KIIP completers and people who scored 60 or more within the three years before applying are among those exempt. The interview is waived for applicants under 15 and for people who completed KIIP and scored 60 or more on the final test, among others. In the F-2-7 points system, KIIP level 5 earns the full 20 points for basic knowledge, the same as TOPIK level 5 or 6, plus a separate 10-point bonus for completing level 5. See our F-2-7 guide.

How to apply, step by step

Register on the Social Integration Information Network (socinet.go.kr), where your applications and level records are kept. Decide whether to start at level 0 or take the placement test. Check the annual test calendar, computer-test booking and results on the Korea Immigration Foundation test site (kiiptest.org). Take the mid-test within two years of level 4 and the final test that matches your goal. Decide early whether you are aiming for permanent residence or naturalization, because only naturalization needs the 30-hour advanced course.

Common mistakes

Leaving speaking practice until last is the most expensive one, since the oral part decides level 0 on the placement test and is worth 25 points in every later test. Others are ignoring the 100- and 200-character writing limits, assuming the 85-point route counts as course completion, retaking the placement test without realising your hours will be wiped, and checking results before 16:00 on the release day. Rules change, so confirm on the official pages or call the Immigration Contact Center on 1345 before you apply.