Overview
사회복지사 1급 (the Social Worker Grade 1 exam) is South Korea's national qualification exam for the top grade of social worker. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is the responsible ministry, and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK) runs the exam through its Q-Net site, which is in Korean. The yearly plan is announced under the Enforcement Decree of the Social Welfare Services Act.
The Q-Net pages that could be read list the schedule and the exam notice. The notice's details, including subjects, eligibility documents and fees, sit in a downloadable file that could not be read here, so check the notice on Q-Net for those.
Important dates
For the 24th exam, held in 2026:
Notice published: 17 October 2025.
Application: 8 to 12 December 2025. A second round for vacant seats ran on 8 and 9 January 2026.
Written exam: 17 January 2026.
Provisional answers and objections: 17 to 23 January 2026.
Document submission: 19 February to 11 March 2026.
Results: expected-pass announcement from 19 February 2026, with the final pass announcement window from 25 March to 23 May 2026.
How to apply
Apply through Q-Net during the application window. The Q-Net customer line is 1644-8000, open on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00. Q-Net has ended its phone (ARS) results service for national qualifications, so check results online.
Preparation tips
Read the yearly exam notice on Q-Net before registering, since eligibility documents and exam details are set there each year.
Note the document submission window after the written exam, which is part of how a pass is finalised.
FAQs
Who runs the exam?
The Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRDK) runs it through Q-Net, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare is the responsible ministry.
When was the exam held in 2026?
The written exam of the 24th exam was on 17 January 2026.