Public Secondary School Teacher Appointment Cadidates Selection Competition Test

I don't know how to call it in English, so I translate it literally. I will call it just Teacher Appointment Test.

Anyway, Public Secondary School Teacher Appointment Cadidates Selection Competition Test is the test to choose candidates who are eligible for appointment in the public secondary schools in the South Korea. To pass the test is one of the ways to become a school teacher in S.Korea and it is the supreme one of them. Even though there are others ways such as teaching in private schools or getting jobs as substitue teachers, those who has teacher certificates want to be public school teachers because it is much more stable and it provides them with a better working environment. (some private schools have an unreasonable authority system.)

Teacher Appointment Test is divided into 3 phases.

In the 1st phase, testees take test of 2 subjects. One is Pedagogy and the other is their major subject. On the whole, it seems to be 2 subjects. But once you look at it closely, there are far more subjects. The Pedagogy test include all the sub categories of Pedagogy such as Educational Philosophy, Sociology of Education, Education Administration, Education Psychology, History of Korean Education, History of Western Education, and so on. Major subjects also cover various areas of each subject, for instance, Engslih major testees have to study English literature, Linguistics, Second Language Teaching Pedagogy, etc. It is not a simple test. The pedagogy test consists of 40 multiple questions and major subject test 40 as well.

The 2nd phase is the essay test. Once the testees pass the first phase, they take essay tests. There are total 4 questions which they have to answer. The test starts from the morning and finished around lunch time. Testees are allowed to use 2 hours for 2 questions, so it takes total 4 hours. They have 30 minute break between them. In this test, only major subject questions are given.

The 3rd phase is the most complex one. On the test day, testees gather at the test place. They are given the material to teach. They have to complete a teaching plan for one hour class. Only a pen, a paper and a ruler are given to them. After they finish, they have to demonstrate the teaching plans they made in front of interviewers. 2 days later, they are called upon again for further interviews. The individual interview is the final stage of the whole test.

As you see, it is not an easy test and competitive rate is really high. (last year in Busan, only 20 passed the test and more than 400 people applied for)