What cheating penalties are planned for TOPIK test takers in Korea?

People caught proxy testing, leaking questions or using forged identification will be barred from taking TOPIK for five years. Those found carrying AI devices will face a two-year ban, and using such devices to influence results will bring a five-year ban.

Korean proficiency test cheaters to face up to 5-year ban

Q: When will the new TOPIK anti-cheating rules take effect?

The education ministry said it is pushing a revision to the enforcement decree of the Higher Education Act in the second half of this year. The new rules are expected to take effect starting next year.

Q: How bad has cheating on TOPIK become recently?

The ministry said the number of cheating cases reached 606 last year, compared with 331 in 2021. Proctors have recently detected cases involving advanced equipment, including AI glasses.

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Summary

The education ministry said Tuesday that people caught cheating on the Korean language proficiency test for non-native speakers will face bans of up to five years starting next year. The tougher rules cover proxy test-taking, question leaks, forged identification and the use of AI devices. The ministry said the changes will come through a revision to the enforcement decree of the Higher Education Act. TOPIK cheating cases reached 606 last year, up from 331 in 2021.

Key Facts

Those who take TOPIK on behalf of others, leak test questions or use forged identification will be banned for five years.
Test-takers found carrying artificial intelligence devices will be banned for two years, while those who use such devices during the test to influence results will face a five-year ban.
The number of TOPIK cheaters rose to 606 last year from 331 in 2021.
TOPIK was first introduced in 1997 and is administered in over 80 countries.
In the first nine months of this year, 564,606 people took or registered to take the test, about 10 percent more than in the same period last year.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 29, 2026 3:27 pm KST

Students attend a Korean language proficiency test preparation class in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, May 26, 2024. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

Those caught cheating on the Korean language proficiency test for non-native speakers will be banned from taking the test for up to five years under new rules expected to take effect next year, the education ministry said Tuesday.

Under the strengthened rules for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), those who take tests on behalf of others, leak test questions or use forged identification will be prohibited from taking the test for five years.

Existing rules banned those taking tests on behalf of others for four years.

The new rules will also ban test-takers found carrying artificial intelligence (AI) devices from taking the test for two years. Those caught using such devices during the test to influence results for themselves or others will face a five-year ban.

"By swiftly pushing for a revision to the enforcement decree of the Higher Education Act in the second half of this year, they (the new rules) are expected to take effect starting next year," an education ministry official said.

The number of TOPIK test cheaters has jumped in recent years, reaching 606 last year, compared with 331 in 2021.

Proctors have recently detected cheating cases involving advanced equipment, including AI glasses.

First introduced in 1997, TOPIK is administered in over 80 countries.

In the first nine months of this year, 564,606 people have taken or registered to take the test, up about 10 percent from the same period last year.

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