Fall 2025 Placement Test Guidelines

NOTE: This year, the Korean Placement Test consists of three parts and will be conducted as follows: 

The Fall 2025 Placement Test has been closed. If you would like to take a Korean course in Spring 2026, please contact Haewon Cho (Director of the Korean Language Program) at haewcho@sas.upenn.edu. 

(1) Test Registration

• Registration is mandatory for all test takers.

(2) Online Test (Monday-Thursday, August 18-21, 2025, student survey, speaking test registration, and reading test)

• The online test includes a student survey, a link to register for the oral test, and an online reading test, which will take about 90-120 minutes. Students cannot stop in the middle of the test, so plan their time accordingly.
• The survey will include a link to register for the oral test. Students who are not taking the online test should complete the survey to register for the oral test as well.

(3) Oral Interview (Online: August 19–20, 2025; Onsite: August 21, 2025)

• Online Oral Interview
  • Students will participate in a 10 minute oral interview via Zoom. Registration required. Register for the time slot here. Please note that missed appointments may result in your slot being given to another student.
• Onsite (Make-up) Oral Interview (Location: DRLB A2, A4, A6)
  • Students who are unable to participate in the oral test on Zoom will have their interviews scheduled concurrently with the written exam.

• • Interviewer A: 8/19 8:00–9:00 AM / 11:00–12:00 PM (Zoom); 8/20 8:00–9:20 AM (Zoom); 8/21 8:00–9:10 AM (Onsite – DRLB A2)
  • Interviewer B: 8/19 9:00–11:00 AM (Zoom); 8/20 9:00–11:00 AM (Zoom); 8/21 8:00–9:30 AM (Onsite – DRLB A4)
  • Interviewer C: 8/19 1:00–3:00 PM (Zoom); 8/20 1:00–3:00 PM (Zoom); 8/21 8:00–9:30 AM (Onsite – DRLB A6)
  • Interviewer D: 8/20 4:00–6:00 PM (Zoom)

(4) Writing Test

• Writing Test (Onsite: August 21, 2025, 8AM-10AM, Location: DRLB A8)
  • The writing test begins promptly at 8:00 AM.
  • Students who have completed the online test will be eligible to take the writing test.
  • Bring your picture ID and a pencil with you.
• Make-up Writing Test (Onsite: August 29, 2025, 9AM-11AM, Location: WILL 623)
  • Students who are unable to participate in the writing test will be required to take the make-up test.

(5) Notification 

• Your placement result will be notified via email.
• Your test results can be found on Path@Penn as follows.

Korean Banner Placement

Banner Score Range 0-999	Outcome	Allows Registration for:	Notes
0	No credit	KORN 0100. Beginning Korean I
250	Qualifies for KORN 0103 as pre-req	KORN 0105. Spoken Korean II
300	No credit	KORN 0220. Korean for Heritage Speakers I
350	Qualifies for KORN 0100 as pre-req	KORN 0200. Beginning Korean II
450	Qualifies for KORN 0200 as pre-req	KORN 0300. Intermediate Korean I	Meets Wharton and Nursing Language Requirement
500	Qualifies for KORN 0220 as pre-req	KORN 0420. Korean for Heritage Speakers II	Meets Wharton and Nursing Language Requirement
550	Qualifies for KORN 0300 as pre-req	KORN 0400. Intermediate Korean II
650	Qualifies for KORN 0400 or 0420 as pre-req	KORN 0500. High Intermediate Korean I and above (0500/0600/0560)	Meets College Language Requirement
750	Qualifies for KORN 0600 as pre-req	KORN 0700 and above (0700/0800/0870/0875/0860/0865/1040/1045/1060/1065/1140/1145)

 

The test is designed to evaluate your language proficiency, so you do not need to prepare for the test. Thus, an example test is not provided.

*If you still have questions, send an e-mail to the Korean Language Program Director, Ms. Haewon Cho (haewcho@sas.upenn.edu).