By Honorary Reporter Nasim Gerami from Iran

The Tehran, Iran, branch of King Sejong Institute on Sept. 5 held the first Korean Language Skills Assessment (SKA) at the Korean Embassy in the Iranian capital, giving students the chance to assess their proficiency and progress in the language. 

The test was held over two days, with the listening, reading and writing sections on Sept. 5 and speaking on Sept. 12 at the embassy.

The SKA marked the first official test of Korean in nearly seven years. The Test of Proficiency in Korean is the more well-known exam, but the SKA places more emphasis on practical communication useful in daily life and work settings.

Of the over 100 people who applied to take the SKA, only 30 were selected, mostly King Sejong graduates or those with a higher Korean proficiency.

The first two sections were listening and reading, each with 50 questions to be completed in 50 minutes. The writing segment had five questions over the same time period. 

The speaking section took place a week later on Sept. 12 at the same location.

After several hours of examination, the test takers posed for a group photograph in front of the embassy.  For the Korean learners who gathered at the embassy that day, the SKA was more than simply an examination; it was an opportunity to measure how far they had come and take another step toward their future goals in Korean language and education.

ljyhwa@korea.kr

*This article was written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.