Korean Language Program Placement Test

The Korean Placement Test consists of three parts: online multiple-choice test (via CourseWorks), speaking, and writing.

The online portion of the placement test consists of 120 questions on listening, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Students are required to finish the test within 120 minutes at one sitting. You are NOT allowed to save the answers and return to the test later to complete it.

The writing and speaking portion of the test will be conducted individually on Thursday prior to the first day of the fall semester and on Friday prior to the first day of the spring semester.

Placement Exam for Spring 2020

Online Test

The online test is available on CourseWorks from January 2 (Thu) until January 16 (Thu) until 5:00 pm. Again, it is available from January 21 (Tue) until January 23 (Thu) until midnight. 

You need to sign in with your UNI. Take the test HERE (https://courseworks2.columbia.edu/enroll/73CXDH). Once you log in, you will be guided to register for the test site. Detailed instructions about the test are given on the test site.

If you are unable to take the test online and have to take it in person, please contact Prof. Joowon Suh at js604@columbia.edu.

Writing & Speaking

MAKE-UP EXAM

Time: January 24 (Fri), 2020, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Place: Kent Hall 411

The online portion of the placement test needs to be completed prior to the writing and speaking test.

For the writing part of the test, you are required to write about 3-5 topics. Upon completion of the writing test, you will then be guided to the speaking test, which takes about 15 minutes.

No pre-registration is required, but please arrive at least 10 minutes early and fill out the registration form before the exam. You do not need to prepare for these tests.

For any questions regarding the placement test, please contact Prof. Joowon Suh (js604@columbia.edu).

Placement Results

Placement test results will be posted on the bulletin board next to Room 404 Kent Hall by 5:00 pm on the same day. The language program director will report students’ results to the appropriate school via email approximately two weeks from the date of the examination.  

Placement Exam Policies for Undergraduate Students
General
    1. Placement exams should be administered in a standard manner to all students: online, written, and oral.
    2. The placement exam will be used to place students in appropriate levels.
    3. All students who want to take a Korean course must take the placement exam. The students who already know Hangul and want to enroll in Introductory Korean A or First Year Korean I also need to take the placement exam. Only the pure beginners who cannot read and write Hangul are exempt from the placement exam.
    4. Students who did not pass the placement exam in the current semester cannot retake the exam until the following semester. Those students should wait at least five months to retake the placement exams.
    5. Students who passed the placement exam but did not take a Korean language course for more than six months, should retake the placement exam to decide on their appropriate level.
    6. Students who had taken a Korean language course at EALAC more than six months ago and wish to continue to study at EALAC, should take the placement exam to be placed at the appropriate level.
    7. Students who had taken a Korean language course, received a C or lower, and wish to continue to the second semester should take the placement exam. Student who received a C+ or lower, and wish to advance to the next level should take the placement exam. In other words, a student needs to achieve a final grade of B- or above to advance to the next level.
    8. Students who studied Korean elsewhere and wish to take a Korean language course at EALAC, should take the placement exam.
    9. Results will be available after 4 pm on the day of the exam.
Date

Fall semester

  1. Thursday prior to the first day of the fall semester
  2. Make-up test: on the Friday of the first week

Spring semester

  1. Friday prior to the first day of the spring semester
  2. Make-up test: on the Friday of the first week

Exception: For those who are graduating in December but need to take a placement exam, please contact the appropriate language program director. 

Reporting of Results

Language program directors will report students’ results to the appropriate school via email to:

    • deans for Columbia College, the language placement results for students taking the exam to test out of the CC requirement should be sent to CC in a timely fashion (approximately two weeks from the date of the first examination).
    • advisors for Columbia Engineering
    • registrar for Barnard
    • advisors for General Studies
    • coordinator for School of International Public Affairs
    • associate director for Teachers College

All language placement results must be sent to the EALAC DGS (Director of Graduate Studies), DUS (Director of Undergraduate Studies), M.A. Co-directors and department chair. 

Placement Exam Policies for Graduate Students (Doctoral Students in Korean Studies)

All the language programs will adopt a system of policies and procedures that sets across-the-board standards for administering and reporting of placement exams.

The exam from each language program will cover all levels of students so that they do not have to assess themselves in order to choose the level of the exam to take. Results of this exam will show what the level of proficiency each student fits in.

Format: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean all have the same format.

Written test: listening (20 mins), writing (timed writing 30 mins)
Translation: a choice of material in this section, between a history and a literature article. Translation with dictionary.
Time: 3 hours

Proficiency Exam

For those who wish to get a certificate for language proficiency, please contact the EALAC Administrative Assistant, Nicole Roldan (nr2746@columbia.edu).

(Updated November 2019)