Language Placement
Korean Language Placement Test 2026-2027
Who needs to take the Korean placement test?
- All first-year students, transfer students and returning students who have prior knowledge in Korean, and plan to fulfill the language requirement or to continue their study of Korean must take the placement test. You are not allowed to register any courses before taking the placement test.
- Students with prior knowledge include (a) students who are exposed to Korean at home or in informal settings such as watching Korean media, and (b) students who have learned Korean through other contexts such as community schools, self-study, or formal coursework outside of Northwestern University.
- This rule applies to all students in all schools and programs, including graduate programs and professional schools.
What does the Korean placement test look like?
The Korean placement test includes an online placement test AND a validation test. Students must complete both tests before their final placement results are posted.
- The online test consists of four sections: vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening.
- The validation test consists of two parts: speaking and writing.
Where and when will I take the online Korean placement test?
- Online placement test site: https://placement.madstudio.northwestern.edu/
- Online placement test opening date: between July 1st and July 31st
- Reminder for the online test:
- You should complete the entire online test within two hours in one sitting. You may not receive placement results if you spend more than two hours. Be mindful of the time limitation. You are allowed to take the test only ONCE.
- This is a formal exam administered at Northwestern University. Students are not allowed to ask for help during the online test. Any dishonesty at the online test will adversely affect students in their course planning.
What are the next steps after the online portion?
Within a week upon completion of the online test, you will receive a tentative placement result posted online at the same site. Please note the tentative result is NOT your final placement. The final placement result will only be posted after the validation test is completed.
Where and when will I take the validation test?
- After completing the online test, you will get an email regarding the instruction of the validation test from the placement coordinator Prof. Eun Hee Kim.
- You will receive information about the time and the location.
- Follow the instruction strictly on the validation test.
Where and when will I get the placement test result?
After you complete the validation test, the final placement result will be posted online at the same site where you took the online exam.
What are the next steps after the validation test?
If you are placed into a specific course, please reach out to the instructor of the course that you are placed into and get the permission number to enroll in the course.
If your placement result is “Beyond Available courses”, that means your proficiency level is too advanced to take any of the Korean language courses offered at Northwestern. This also means that your language requirement is fulfilled.
How often is the placement test administered?
The Korean language placement test is mostly administered during the summer. Additional opportunities to take placement test may be provided early September and during the reading week of Fall and Winter quarters upon request. Please contact Prof. Eun Hee Kim if you missed the opportunity to take the placement test during the summer.
Special notes
- The placement result is effective only for a year, and students are not allowed to retake the test within a year.
- Please note that the placement test does NOT bear any credit, and its purpose is to place students into the class of appropriate level.
Contact information
Please contact Professor Eun Hee Kim eunhee.kim@northwestern.edu if you have any questions.