Korean Hanja Test (KLA)

National Hanja Proficiency Test (전국한자능력검정시험)

Korean Language Association (사단법인 한국어문회) · KO tests Korean

UpcomingOfficial site ↗

Nov212026
115th regular test
Official schedule. Levels 4–8 at 11:00; 특급 to 3급Ⅱ at 15:00. Registration closed 23 October.
Test date
Dec182026
Results for the 115th test
On the official site, after logging in (My Page or the results page).
Results

Dates are from the organisation's official announcements. Always confirm on the official site before you apply.

Taking the test

Fee: ₩50,000 (특급, 특급Ⅱ, 1급), ₩30,000 (2급, 3급, 3급Ⅱ), ₩25,000 (4급–8급). Unchanged since January 2023. The certificate is free to print online.
How often: Four regular tests a year, on Saturdays (February, May, August and November in 2026). Levels 4–8 sit at 11:00 and 특급 to 3급Ⅱ at 15:00. Levels 4–8 are also offered at extra occasional tests (수시시험). Online registration only.
Format: Paper test with handwritten answers: readings, meanings, writing hanja, radicals, long and short vowels, synonyms and antonyms, homophones, idioms, simplified forms and, at the Special levels, classical Chinese passages. 50 questions (8급) to 200 (특급, 특급Ⅱ, 1급); 50 to 100 minutes.
Run by: Korean Language Association (사단법인 한국어문회)
Apply: Official site ↗

Levels

Level	What it means	Hanja	To pass
Special Level (특급)	Read and research classical texts written in mixed Korean and hanja with ease. Advanced. Hanja drawn from Korean and Chinese classics.	Read 5,978 / write 3,500	160 of 200
Special Level II (특급Ⅱ)	Read classical texts in mixed Korean and hanja. Intermediate. Includes all 4,888 hanja in the KS X 1001 character set.	Read 4,918 / write 2,355	160 of 200
Level 1 (1급)	The top regular level. The level the organisation suggests university students aim for, along with Level 2.	Read 3,500 / write 2,005	160 of 200
Level 2 (2급)	Common-use hanja plus basic hanja for personal and place names.	Read 2,355 / write 1,817	105 of 150
Level 3 (3급)	Advanced common-use hanja, middle stage. Covers all 1,800 hanja set by the Ministry of Education for schools. Suggested goal for middle and high school students.	Read 1,817 / write 1,000	105 of 150
Level 3-II (3급Ⅱ)	Advanced common-use hanja, first stage. The easiest nationally certified level.	Read 1,500 / write 750	105 of 150
Level 4 (4급)	Intermediate common-use hanja, top stage. Suggested goal for elementary school students.	Read 1,000 / write 500	70 of 100
Level 4-II (4급Ⅱ)	Intermediate common-use hanja, middle stage.	Read 750 / write 400	70 of 100
Levels 5 and 5-II	Intermediate common-use hanja, first stage.	Read 500 / 400	70 of 100
Levels 6–8	Basic common-use hanja, from Level 6 down to Level 8, a starter level to get children interested in hanja.	Read 300 → 50	63 of 90 → 35 of 50

One point per question. To pass you need 80% at 특급, 특급Ⅱ and 1급, and 70% at 2급 to 8급. Each level includes all the hanja of the levels below it, and the hanja you must write are those from a level or two lower. The organisation does not publish pass rates.

What it tests

Tested

Reading hanja
Writing hanja by hand
Stroke order and radicals
Idioms and set phrases
Vocabulary

Not tested

Listening
Speaking
Grammar
Long reading passages

It tests hanja and hanja vocabulary only. There is no listening, speaking or general reading comprehension; the Special levels add short classical Chinese passages.

Languages and where to take it

Test language: Entirely in Korean. Readings and meanings are written in hangul and must follow Korean spelling rules, or they are marked wrong.
Instructions: Instructions and the website are in Korean only.
Where: Test venues across South Korea, in all 17 provinces and major cities. The official site lists no venues abroad.
How long it counts

What it's recognised for

Levels 특급 to 3급Ⅱ are a nationally certified private qualification (Ministry of Education no. 2023-11), which by law is treated the same as a national qualification. The current certification covers tests up to 31 December 2026. The organisation suggests Level 4 for elementary pupils, Level 3 for middle and high school students and Levels 2 and 1 for university students.

About the exam

Who it's for: Korea's main test of reading and writing hanja, the Chinese characters used in Korean. It is mostly taken by Korean schoolchildren and adults, but there are no age or grade limits and anyone can take any level.
Levels and scores: Fifteen levels from 8급 (easiest) to 특급 (Special). Each "Ⅱ" level sits just below its number (4급Ⅱ is easier than 4급). 특급 to 3급Ⅱ are nationally certified (국가공인); 4급 to 8급 are a registered private qualification.