Korea replaced its standalone naturalization (귀화) written test with the Comprehensive Evaluation (종합평가) on March 1, 2018. Every applicant who is not already exempt sits the same exam today: 40 written questions, 5 oral questions, pass mark 60 out of 100. Whether you completed the Social Integration Program (KIIP, 사회통합프로그램) or never took a KIIP class, the test instrument is identical. What changes is how you register, how many attempts you have, and what a passing score earns you after you leave the room.
For what KIIP completion earns on the citizenship track, including the exam exemption and the interview exemption mechanics, see KIIP and Naturalization: The Exam Exemption and the Interview Exemption Are Not the Same Thing. This guide covers the test and interview mechanics for applicants arriving at naturalization without that shortcut, with the KIIP path included for contrast.
One framing note before the detail: the Comprehensive Evaluation and the interview address exactly one of seven general naturalization requirements under Nationality Act (국적법) Article 5, item 5: basic civic qualifications, meaning Korean-language ability plus understanding of Korean customs. The other six (residence period, residence status, age, good conduct, and self-sufficiency, plus the Justice Minister's national-interest discretion) are outside this guide's scope. Confirm your full eligibility with the Immigration Contact Center at 1345 before filing.
Two registration routes, one test
Korea's Social Integration Information Network (사회통합정보망, Socinet) lists two main routes for registering to sit the naturalization Comprehensive Evaluation (귀화용 종합평가, KINAT). The test format and pass mark are identical for both.
| KIIP-completion route | Non-KIIP direct-applicant route | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | People who finished the full KIIP Stage 5, both basic and advanced courses (100 hours) | Any naturalization applicant who filed after March 1, 2018, without completing Stage 5 |
| Registration category | KIIP course graduate | Non-KIIP naturalization applicant (귀화허가 신청자 대상 종합평가 응시자) |
| Test format | 45 items, 70 minutes, 60/100 pass mark | 45 items, 70 minutes, 60/100 pass mark |
| Retake cap | No stated numeric cap; may retake or repeat Stage 5 coursework | 3 total sittings within 1 year of the application date |
| Interview if you pass | Exempt from the interview (면접심사 면제) | Interview is mandatory regardless of score |
| Interview if you fail all attempts | Exam-exempt through KIIP completion; face only the interview | Naturalization application denied on mandatory grounds |
This table is the guide's core point. You do not sit a harder exam or a different exam as a non-KIIP applicant. You sit the same test with a stricter retake limit and without a path to interview exemption through a test score alone.
What the Comprehensive Evaluation (KINAT) tests
The test covers Korean-language ability and understanding of Korean society, as a combined measure of basic civic qualifications. Socinet.go.kr describes the content as Korean-language ability and understanding of Korean society measured as an overall basic-qualifications assessment.
The Ministry of Justice regulation governing all KIIP evaluations (사회통합프로그램 기본소양 평가관리 규정, Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 1338) sets the format structure. The regulation's Article 3 states the written test runs up to 50 items, using multiple-choice as the base, with essay-type items permitted. Socinet.go.kr's own evaluation-guide page gives the specific breakdown for the Comprehensive Evaluation:
Written test (필기시험): 40 questions, 60 minutes
- 36 multiple-choice items: answered on an OMR card. Time: 50 minutes.
- 4 essay-type items: presented as one single writing prompt. Answered on one sheet of 200-character manuscript paper. Time: 10 minutes.
Oral test (구술시험): 5 questions, 10 minutes
The spoken portion covers comprehension, conversation, and listening-and-speaking. Time: 10 minutes.
Total: 45 items, 70 minutes of testing time.
Pass mark: 60 out of 100. Written and oral scores are combined. Fractions are dropped. This is set by Article 7 of the governing regulation.
What the test does NOT break down by subject area
The regulation's detailed content annexes (별표) are not publicly released. Article 12 of the same regulation states those annexes are not disclosed. Socinet.go.kr does not publish a breakdown showing how many questions cover history, how many cover constitutional principles, or similar. Neither socinet.go.kr's evaluation page nor the governing regulation publishes a subject-area split, and the regulation withholds its content annexes (Article 12), so treat any third-party breakdown as unofficial.
Checking your result
Scores are not individually notified and are not publicly posted after each sitting. You check your result on your own Socinet account under your personal information page (마이페이지) after the sitting date.
Registering for the test as a non-KIIP applicant
Registration is online through your Socinet (사회통합정보망) account. A non-KIIP applicant registers under a separate menu path from the general KIIP participant navigation, labelled as the naturalization-target evaluation (귀화대상자 종합평가). The menu item is visible on socinet.go.kr without a login, but proceeding past it requires a Socinet account.
You must file your naturalization application before you can register for a sitting. Each sitting has a short published application window, typically around five days, roughly two weeks before the test date. Check the current schedule directly at socinet.go.kr before planning.
The sitting takes place at a location your jurisdictional immigration office designates. Korea has 19 offices handling naturalization casework nationwide. The full list, including addresses, phone numbers, and jurisdiction areas, is at hikorea.go.kr under "국적민원 접수장소." Your office is the one covering your registered address.
Accommodation requests
If you have a disability or special consideration, a separate accommodation track (특별 배려대상 평가) exists, covering visual, hearing, intellectual, psychiatric, brain-lesion, autism spectrum, speech, and hand-use impairments, plus a catch-all at the office's discretion. Naturalization applicants must submit proof of disability (a disability registration card or a hospital diagnosis from a general hospital) at the time they file their naturalization application, not separately when registering for the evaluation.
Retake rules for non-KIIP applicants
This is where the non-KIIP route carries its tightest constraint.
Socinet.go.kr's published fail-outcome table for non-KIIP direct registrants states: up to 2 retakes (3 total sittings), all within 1 year of the naturalization application date. Failing all 3 is listed as a ground for mandatory refusal (귀화허가 불허) of the naturalization application.
The 1-year clock runs from your naturalization application date, not from the date of your first sitting.
A sourcing tension worth flagging: A separate HiKorea plain-language page covering the same topic describes the same 1-year window but states that applicants may sit the evaluation without restriction within that year. Both are government sources. The two descriptions may describe different things (Socinet's figure is an outcome-stated failure cap; HiKorea's may describe registration eligibility within the window), or they may reflect a genuine inconsistency. Treat the 3-total-attempt figure from Socinet as the operative outcome-stated rule, and confirm with your office if you are relying on this for planning.
Missing a sitting
A no-show (결시) counts as a fail whether the reason is excused or not. If you cannot attend a scheduled sitting, you may request a cancellation by contacting your jurisdictional immigration office within the application window for that sitting.
Misconduct
If cheating is confirmed, the result is voided. The applicant may also be barred from any Social Integration Program participation for one year.
What a passing score gets a non-KIIP applicant
Scoring 60 or above as a non-KIIP direct registrant earns three things, per Socinet.go.kr's pass-outcome table:
- Credit for the naturalization Comprehensive Evaluation.
- Credit for the permanent-residency Comprehensive Evaluation as well. The same passing result satisfies both tracks.
- Retroactive placement into KIIP Stage 5.
It does not remove the interview requirement.
Socinet.go.kr's own outcome table makes the distinction explicit. For KIIP Stage 5 completers who pass: the interview is explicitly waived. For non-KIIP direct registrants who pass: the three credits above are listed. The interview exemption does not appear for this group.
This is not an editorial omission. The interview exemption's legal basis (국적법 시행규칙 제4조③ item 3) requires KIIP completion as its first condition. A test score alone, however high, does not satisfy that condition. For the full statutory analysis of the two exemptions and how they relate, see KIIP and Naturalization: The Exam Exemption and the Interview Exemption Are Not the Same Thing.
The naturalization interview (면접심사)
If you are a non-KIIP applicant, you face the interview after your naturalization application is processed, regardless of whether you passed or failed the Comprehensive Evaluation. The interview is mandatory unless you qualify under one of the four exemption categories in the enforcement ordinance.
What the interview covers
The interview assesses three things: Korean-language ability, your attitude as a prospective citizen, and your understanding and belief in the free democratic basic order. This standard is set in the Nationality Act enforcement ordinance and restated in the Ministry of Justice's plain-language legal portal.
How it is scheduled
Your jurisdictional immigration office assigns the date. The date is fixed and cannot be changed by the applicant. If you have moved since filing, you can request a different interview location (not the date) by visiting in person, or by submitting a location-change form with ID by mail or fax, to the immigration office with jurisdiction over your new address. This request is only possible after you have received the interview notice from the office that received your naturalization application.
Retake rules for the interview
Based on a Ministry of Justice regional office notice (Ansan Immigration Office, for the August 4 to 6, 2026 interview cycle): missing the interview or failing triggers a rescheduled interview within 6 months, and the total number of interview opportunities is 2. Arriving late counts as an absence, which is processed as an automatic fail.
Accuracy note: This figure reflects administrative practice, not codified statute. It appears as standard administrative language in the regional notice cited, not in the Nationality Act, its enforcement decree, or its enforcement ordinance. What is codified in the enforcement decree: failing the interview is a mandatory ground for refusal. Verify the current rule directly with your office if this is a live concern.
Dress and demeanor
The Ansan notice states that not maintaining appropriate dress or not showing a sincere and earnest attitude at the interview can result in a fail and denial of the naturalization application.
Preparation materials
The Ministry of Justice points applicants to HiKorea for interview preparation. On hikorea.go.kr, go to the national affairs section (정보마당 → 국적/귀화), then look at the bottom left of the screen for comprehensive evaluation and interview materials. These include national anthem study materials and an educational publication about Korean citizenship (자랑스러운 한국인). Sample interview questions (면접심사 문제 견본) are distributed separately, through the Ministry's official KakaoTalk channel (search "법무부" or "국적종합정보" in KakaoTalk), not on hikorea.go.kr.
The interview is not the final word
Passing the interview does not guarantee naturalization. A separate final review covers legal-violation checks and other background matters before naturalization is granted.
How the KIIP path compares
The sharpest difference between the two routes is what happens at the interview.
A KIIP Stage 5 completer who scores 60 or above on the Comprehensive Evaluation is exempt from the interview. They have satisfied both conditions in the enforcement ordinance's interview-exemption rule: KIIP completion and a passing score.
A non-KIIP direct applicant who scores 60 or above on the identical test is not exempt. No matter the score, the interview remains mandatory.
If reducing the naturalization process to a single exam plus a background check is the goal, the path is to complete KIIP Stage 5 (both basic and advanced courses) and score 60 or above on the naturalization Comprehensive Evaluation. That earns both exemptions simultaneously. For a full walk-through of that path, see KIIP and Naturalization: The Exam Exemption and the Interview Exemption Are Not the Same Thing.
For why a TOPIK score has no role in any of this, see KIIP vs TOPIK: Which Path Gets You to F-5 or Citizenship. For readers who haven't yet decided on a Korean-language test track, see Korean Language Exams Compared.
A note on 2026 regulatory changes
One Nationality Act amendment was promulgated in 2026 (Law No. 21725, promulgated June 2, 2026, effective December 3, 2026). It adjusts simplified naturalization eligibility for a narrow category: foreign spouses of Korean-citizen direct descendants or ascendants of recognized independence movement figures. It does not affect the test format, pass mark, retake rules, or interview process described in this guide.
The governing regulation for the Comprehensive Evaluation (Ministry of Justice Ordinance No. 1338) was last amended February 26, 2024. The Nationality Act Enforcement Ordinance was last amended April 29, 2024. Both are more than 12 months old as of this guide's publication date (as of 2026: verify at law.go.kr at this guide's monthly freshness check). Check for amendments if you are reading this after August 2026.
FAQ
Is there a separate citizenship test if I haven't done KIIP?
No. The Comprehensive Evaluation (종합평가, KINAT) is the same test for all naturalization applicants, KIIP-enrolled or not. Both groups sit 40 written questions and 5 oral questions, with a pass mark of 60 out of 100. What differs is the registration category, the retake cap, and what a passing score earns you afterward.
How many times can I sit the citizenship test without KIIP?
According to socinet.go.kr's published outcome rules, non-KIIP applicants have 3 total sittings (1 initial attempt plus 2 retakes), all within 1 year of their naturalization application date. Failing all 3 is listed as a ground for mandatory refusal. A separate HiKorea page describes the same 1-year window without a numeric cap. Treat 3 total attempts as the operative figure, and confirm with your office if you're relying on this for planning.
Does passing the citizenship test mean I skip the interview?
No, not for non-KIIP applicants. The interview exemption under 국적법 시행규칙 제4조③ requires both KIIP Stage 5 completion and a passing score on the Comprehensive Evaluation. A non-KIIP applicant who passes the test faces a mandatory interview regardless of their score.
What is the format of the naturalization Comprehensive Evaluation?
The written portion (필기시험) is 40 questions: 36 multiple-choice items answered on an OMR card in 50 minutes, and 4 essay-type items presented as one writing prompt on 200-character manuscript paper in 10 minutes. The oral portion (구술시험) is 5 questions in 10 minutes covering comprehension, conversation, and listening-and-speaking. Total: 45 items, 70 minutes of testing time.
What subjects does the citizenship test cover?
Korean-language ability and understanding of Korean society, as a combined measure of basic civic qualifications. Socinet.go.kr does not publish a question-count breakdown by subject area, and the detailed content blueprint is not publicly released under the governing regulation. Do not rely on third-party exam-prep sites for a specific subject-area split.
How do I register for the test as a non-KIIP applicant?
Registration is through your Socinet (사회통합정보망) account, under the naturalization-target evaluation menu (귀화대상자 종합평가), separate from the general KIIP participant navigation. You must file your naturalization application first. Each sitting has a short published application window; check socinet.go.kr for the current schedule.
What does passing the citizenship test get me if I am not a KIIP graduate?
A passing score is credited for both the naturalization and permanent-residency Comprehensive Evaluations, and you are retroactively placed into KIIP Stage 5. You still face the mandatory naturalization interview. The interview exemption is not available through this route.
What does the naturalization interview cover?
Korean-language ability, plus your attitude as a prospective citizen and your belief in the free democratic basic order, per the Nationality Act enforcement ordinance. The Ministry of Justice assigns a fixed interview date. Preparation materials such as the national anthem and a citizenship education booklet are at hikorea.go.kr under the national affairs section; sample interview questions are distributed separately through the Ministry's official KakaoTalk channel, not on HiKorea.