There are various types of assessment systems in Korea applicable to this phase of education. These include: the nationwide assessment system of national scholastic achievement tests (SATs) (national assessment of educational achievement) for certain year groups and certain subjects - see below and Appendix 2; and continuous classroom assessment by teachers.16 Details of the entrance tests for high school education which take place on completion of this phase of education are provided in section 6.4.
The highly competitive entrance examinations to lower secondary junior high school (middle school) were abolished in 1969, and all applicants are allocated to schools near their residence by lottery.27
External assessments to monitor and identify a student body's level of achievement (performance testing) have been implemented in Korea since the late 1950s, both nationwide and locally. National assessment data have been collected by several central agencies. Most local centres for educational research have collected assessment data in each district of education since the 1950s. The major purpose of both national and local assessment of this nature seems to be to compare achievement by gender, region and school. Schools and teachers have also been encouraged to use the assessment results to improve teaching and learning.25
The National Board of Educational Evaluation, NBEE (also known as the National Institute of Educational Evaluation, NIEE) administered national assessments at elementary school, junior high school and high school level during the period 1987 to 1997.25 From 1994 to 1997, the NBEE was also in charge of nationwide assessment for Years 4 to 6 (of elementary school education). The staff of the NBEE comprised specialists in educational measurement, evaluation and statistics.16 At the end of December 1997, the work of the NBEE was taken over by the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE).27
Since September 2000, revised periodic national assessments of student achievement (scholastic achievement tests or the national assessment of educational achievement) have been administered with a view to monitoring the curriculum. Korean language, maths, science and social studies are assessed every two years (two subjects each year), while English communications skills and the use of information technology skills are assessed once every three years. Small samples of students (between 0.5 per cent and one per cent of the whole student population in specific Years/Grades) are involved in the tests.24
See section 6.3.7 in addition.
The main purpose of assessment is to identify the rate of progress of students. Since the introduction of the Seventh National Curriculum (March 2000 onwards) (see section 5.3), student assessment results have begun to be used to place students according to the differentiated curriculum.24
All schools are expected to establish attainment targets by Grade/Year level for individual subjects and extracurricular activities and assess the progress of each student by using various evaluation tools and methods. The results of such evaluations are intended to be used to improve the quality of teaching. Schools also assess their curriculum implementation every year and utilise the results in planning curriculum organisation and implementation for the next school year.46
National scholastic achievement testing/national assessment of educational achievement
Each municipal or provincial office of education (MPEA) or regional education authority has traditionally used the results of national scholastic achievement tests to monitor school accountability and sometimes teacher or headteacher accountability.27
Official objectives for the nationwide scholastic achievement tests are to:
The revised periodic national assessments of student achievement which began to be implemented in September 2000 (see 6.3.1), are administered with the intention of monitoring the curriculum.24
National scholastic achievement testing/national assessment of educational achievement
Until 1999, nationwide scholastic achievement testing was compulsory for all students in Years 7-8 of middle school education and results reported nationally for, usually, a one per cent sample of students. However, the Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) cancelled national scholastic achievement testing in 1999 and requested the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) to develop new national scholastic achievement tests. These began to be implemented in September 2000. In accordance with the new scheme, two subjects are tested each year for a sample of between 0.5 and one per cent of the total student population in Years 6, 9 and 10.27
Continuous assessment
All students are continually assessed by their teachers.
National scholastic achievement testing/national assessment of educational achievement
The national scholastic achievement test for elementary and secondary school students is usually administered in September. Until 1999, the Grades/Year groups and the subjects tested varied each year. In some years only Korean and maths were tested; in others all subjects were tested. In middle schools, students in Years 7-8 (ages 12-13 and 13-14) were tested. In 1999, the Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) cancelled national scholastic achievement testing and requested the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) to develop new national scholastic achievement tests. These began to be implemented in September 2000. In accordance with the new scheme, two subjects are tested each year for a sample of between 0.5 and one per cent of the total student population in Years 6, 9 and 10. In September 2000, for example, maths and social studies were tested.27 Appendix 2 provides full details of the national scholastic achievement tests held over the period 1987-1998.
National scholastic achievement testing takes place once a year, while classroom evaluation can be conducted at any time by the class teacher. National scholastic achievement testing is formal, while classroom evaluation is informal. Nationwide scholastic achievement assessment is a written test. Classroom assessment can take the form of written tests, oral tests, practical tests or portfolio presentation.16
In the past, multiple-choice testing has been particularly favoured in Korea.16 Schools are, however, now expected to try to measure student achievement in individual subjects in a balanced way, putting more emphasis on such methods as essay-type tests or observation tests to assess expression and attitude and high-order thinking skills instead of the conventional multiple-choice test. Where applicable, schools are also expected to utilise practical assessment procedures to evaluate/assess experiment and workshop activities.46
National scholastic achievement testing/national assessment of educational achievement
Previously, the National Board of Educational Evaluation (NBEE) conducted the nationwide scholastic achievement assessment in cooperation with local boards of education and schools. A committee was organised to develop the assessment questionnaire. This committee comprised one professor in educational evaluation/assessment, four subject professors, seven specialists and 48 subject researchers. NBEE assessment committee members were selected in April and were trained at the NBEE. To ensure continuity and consistency of assessment, only some members of the assessment committee were replaced each year. In January, the assessment plan/programme was mailed to the boards of education in each city and province and preliminary training in sampled schools was conducted in August.16
The Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) has been responsible for national scholastic achievement assessment since the end of December 1997. In 1998, national scholastic achievement assessment was administered by KICE in much the same way as it previously had been by NBEE.27
Continuous assessment
For continuous classroom assessment, the board of education in each city and province produces assessment instruments through various workshops.16
Assessment in Korea is both criterion- and norm-referenced. The nationwide scholastic achievement tests/national assessment of educational achievement tests are norm-referenced and the results are recorded by numerical scores. Continuous classroom assessment is criterion-referenced in the early years of education and the results are generally recorded by descriptive statement.16 As education progresses, however, in middle schools and high schools, a system of recording student performance by grade using a norm-referenced evaluation method is more common.24
The School Activities Record
The Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology), on the recommendation of the Presidential Commission on Education Reform (PCER), introduced a new 'Student School Record'/'School Activities Record' system in the 1996 academic year. Its aim was not only to provide summative, but also diagnostic and informative information on each student's academic achievement and social development. The School Activities Record includes the following information:
Students' results in the School Activities Record are recorded in accordance with a five-level grading system. Students are given a grade in accordance with the attainment targets (achievement ratio) of the educational objectives set for each subject, for each year, as follows: 86
| Achievement level | Grade |
| 90% or above | 'Soo' |
| 80-89% | 'Woo' |
| 70-79% | 'Mi' |
| 60-69% | 'Yang' |
| Below 60% | 'Ga' |
In addition, teachers provide descriptive comments regarding a student's special talents and interests.86
Most schools assess their curriculum implementation every year and utilise the results in curriculum organisation and implementation for the coming years. Results in scholastic achievement tests/the national assessment of educational achievement for a particular school are not intended to have any particular effect/influence on that school. However, most principals and teachers want to increase their competitive power by achieving higher scores in the tests, because of the strong parental concerns in this respect.16
Most students usually move up to the next Grade level, regardless of their results in national tests or continuous assessment. Students' results can also be used as a reference for gifted children who merit being transferred to a special programme.16,24 Students who have been identified earlier in their school careers as being particularly gifted in either foreign languages, sciences, or art and athletics are likely to be selected for the appropriate vocational (foreign language, science or art and athletics) upper secondary high school. These schools were founded with the express aim of developing the potential of such students to the maximum.45
Since the introduction of the Seventh National Curriculum (March 2000 onwards), the results of student assessment have begun to influence their placement on the new differentiated curriculum (see 5.3).
Increasingly, since the introduction of the School Activities Record (see 6.3.6 above), some high schools have begun to use the information provided in the School Activities Record to select students from middle school graduates. In addition, some colleges and universities have begun to use such information, in addition to their entrance examination, to select students.86
Details of the national average scores of those students sampled at each Grade/Year group in the scholastic achievement testing are mailed to schools and teachers can use these for reference. The results of school assessment are, however, generally not made public. Test scores are not supposed to be made available to students or parents.16
The School Activities Record
Schools must report the assessment/evaluation record of individual students in Years 1 and 2 of elementary school in the form of a written document referring to the student's activities, personal traits and progress in individual subjects.46 From Year/Grade 3 onwards, reporting of their progress in individual subject areas receives more emphasis.16
The Ministry of Education (now the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology), on the recommendation of the Presidential Commission on Education Reform (PCER), introduced a new 'Student School Record'/'School Activities Record' system in the 1996 academic year. Its aim was not only to provide summative, but also diagnostic and informative information on each student's academic achievement and social development. The School Activities Record includes the following information:
From the above items, it is requested that details of a student's performance and what is especially noteworthy in particular subject areas, extra-curricular activities, service activities and conduct and personality are recorded in a descriptive, anecdotal manner. The contents and hours of an individual's involvement in activities related to developing self-discipline and voluntary services are also reported as indicators of character and personality.26
Most schools have arrangements to see and report to parents (either face to face, by telephone or in writing) several times during the academic year. 78
In 1997, 99.4 per cent of junior high school/middle school students went on to upper secondary high school,51and in 1998, of those students entering high school from middle school, 62.9 per cent were enrolled in academic high schools, 35.7 per cent in vocational high schools and 1.4 per cent in other schools.51 For further details, see the tables below.
Proportion of students progressing to high school
| Year | Rate of students entering high school from middle school, % |
| 1970 | 70.1 |
| 1975 | 74.7 |
| 1980 | 84.5 |
| 1985 | 90.7 |
| 1990 | 95.7 |
| 1995 | 98.5 |
| 1996 | 99.0 |
| 1997 | 99.4 |
| 1998 | 99.5 |
Source: REPUBLIC OF KOREA. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) (1999a) and REPUBLIC OF KOREA. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) & KOREAN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (KEDI) (1998). Handbook of Educational Statistics. Seoul: MOE.
In 2002, the proportion of middle school students progressing to high school remained at 99.5 per cent. 90
Rate of graduation from lower secondary education, %
| Year | Rate of graduation from middle school/junior high school, % |
| 1970 | 93.2 |
| 1975 | 92.7 |
| 1980 | 97.0 |
| 1985 | 96.9 |
| 1990 | 97.6 |
| 1995 | 97.9 |
| 1996 | 97.8 |
| 1997 | 97.7 |
| 1998 | 97.5 |
Source: REPUBLIC OF KOREA. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) (1999a) and REPUBLIC OF KOREA. MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE) & KOREAN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (KEDI) (1998). Handbook of Educational Statistics. Seoul: MOE.