Overview
The Grade 7 (7급) Public Official Recruitment Examination is a national civil service exam in South Korea, recruiting candidates into mid-level administrative and technical positions across national government ministries, run by the Ministry of Personnel Management. It sits between the senior-entry Grade 5 exam and the larger-intake Grade 9 exam.
Exam pattern
The exam generally has three stages. The first stage is a Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT), covering language logic, data interpretation, and situational judgment, similar in format to the Grade 5 PSAT. The second stage is a written subject exam specific to the chosen field (administrative or technical track and specialism). The third stage is an interview for candidates who pass the written stages.
Marking and results
Final selection combines performance across all stages; because Grade 7 recruits a smaller number of positions than Grade 9 while testing at a more advanced level than Grade 9's multiple-choice format, competition is generally high relative to the number of posts available.
How to apply
Applications are submitted online through the government's civil service recruitment portal during the application window announced for that year's cycle.
After the exam
Candidates who pass all stages are appointed to Grade 7 administrative or technical positions across national government ministries.
Preparation tips
Because the PSAT stage rewards speed and accuracy in reasoning and data-interpretation tasks rather than memorised content, practising full-length timed PSAT mock exams, alongside subject-specific study for the second-stage written exam, is the standard preparation approach.
What does the Grade 7 PSAT test?
Language logic, data interpretation, and situational judgment, similar in format to the Grade 5 PSAT.
How does Grade 7 differ from Grade 9?
Grade 7 uses a PSAT plus a written subject exam and recruits into more advanced positions with fewer posts, while Grade 9 uses a multiple-choice format and recruits a larger number of entry-level positions.