So now you need to get actually get to campus for that placement test.
Placement:
- Everyone needs to take the placement test regardless of ability. Even if you don’t know how to read or draw a single character, you still need to take the test.
- You’re placement isn’t concrete as you can still be moved up or down to different levels at the beginning of the session if you ask or the teachers feel that you need to. They will give you the deadline dates for changing levels during orientation. You are required to retake your placement test if you do want to change your level.
Supplies:
- When you take your placement test, all you will need is a pencil and your passport. (You don’t need any of your acceptance documents or anything.)
Getting to Sogang:
- Subway
- Okay, so the closest subway stops to Sogang are
- Sogang University exit 1 off the Gyeongui-Jungang line
- Sinchon Station exit 5 (exit 6 is currently under construction) off Line 2
- Daeheung Station exit 1 off Line 6
- Okay, so the closest subway stops to Sogang are
- Bus
- The bus stops closest to Sogang are:
- Sogang University (서강대학교) which will put your smack in front of the main entrance. Make sure you know if you’re coming from the North or South to make sure you are getting on the right bus and off at the right stop.
- Blue bus: 110A고려대, 110B국민대, 604, 740, 753
- Green bus: 5714, 6716, 7016, 7613, 6712
- Direct bus (rainbow): G6000
- Seat bus (half blue, half white): 921
- An alternative bus stop is Gwangseongjung High School (광성중고등학교) which will put you right in front of the Arrupe Hall elevator. Again, make sure you know which direction you’re coming from so you can make sure you’re coming on the right bus and getting off at the right stop.
- Blue bus: 110A고려대, 110B국민대, 604, 740, 753
- Green bus: 5714, 6716, 7016, 7613, 6712
- Town bus (green): 마포10
Getting to Arrupe Hall:
- Your placement test will be in Arrupe Hall which is really easy to get to.
- If you start at the main entrance to Sogang:
- You will see two roads, follow the sidewalk along the road going to the right. When you get to the tennis courts, follow them around toward the red building—that’s Arrupe Hall.
- You should see the “Arrupe Hall” on the side.
- There are two sets of doors. Go through the doors on the left.
- There will be an elevator. Go to the 9th floor. (Keep in mind that you entered on the 4th floor.) (The floor you’re supposed to go to might differ from year to year, so make sure you check.)
- If you start at the Gwangseongjung High School stop:
- You should see a tiny convenience store called Mini Stop next to a huge red building—that’s Arrupe Hall.
- On the left of the Mini Stop convenience store, you should see a set of revolving doors.
- Go inside and go to the elevator. Go to the 9th floor. (Keep in mind that you entered on the 1st floor.) (Also, the floor you’re supposed to go to might change from year to year, so make sure you check.)
The written test:
- Now, you there should be a person at a table on the 9th floor (or whichever floor) who will ask to see your passport. Then he will give you a paper and direct you to the room for your written test.
- There will be several other students there in the room with you.
- The instructor will pass out a paper that you are to do your written test on. He will tell you to fill out the information part at the top (name, nationality, etc.) in English.
- Then he will give you the different writing prompts for the different levels in relation to your TOPIK level. If you have never taken the TOPIK before, it’s probably best to start with the beginner topics (or whatever one you can read).
- You are to free-write in Korean about one of the topics for your level. Write as much as you can within 30 minutes. You can be done early if you run out of things to say.
- Take your paper and go to the room for your speaking test. It may be on another floor.
The speaking test:
- This part will be 1-on-1. Hand the instructor your paper and have a seat.
- Answer the questions as best you can. You can ask him to repeat the questions if you want. If you don’t know, just shake your head.
- Then they will hand you a paper with short sentences on it. I’m gonna be honest with you, I knew pretty much no Korean when I took this test, so I’m not sure if he was actually asking me to read it out loud or not, but I did.
- Then he asked me to answer one of the questions in the short sentences (I think).
- After that, your test is over, and you can leave.
- You’ll find out where you are placed on the first day of class. You can also buy your books then.
The Brave, Little Ninja 
Hello,
Can I ask you when you will be starting classes at sogang klec?
I actually am going to for the fall semester but I did not have to take the placement test because I do not know any korean at all..On the papers it says that the course starts on the 9th of march but sogang told me to come on the 8th, why is that?
Thank you:))
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I am going to be starting this spring semester too. (If your paper says you should be there on March 9th then you meant that you are starting the spring semester not fall semester, right?)
There is a new student orientation on the 8th so that is why they want you to come early. 🙂
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Yes sorry, the spring semester!
Oh that’ s why! It wasn t very clear from the msg they sent me 🙂
Thank you very much! Guess we’ ll meet sometimes 🙂
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By the way, I just found out we are supposed to meet for orientation on the 8th at 1:40 pm at K101 (Kim Daegon Hall).
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HI! May i know if sogang emailed you before your placement test about it to confirm with you the timing and details.
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They did email me details the day before the placement test.
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Hello! Would you happen to know if it’s possible to take the placement test for the first time on a date later than the one announced on the website? I’m not scheduled to arrive in korea until about 3 days after the placement test happens but I don’t want to be placed in level 1 by default. So if I were to request to be moved up a level, would I be allowed to take it or is that only allowed for students who already took it previously?
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I don’t think it is possible for you to schedule a personal test on a different day. However, on the first day, you can request to be put into a different level, and they will have you take a placement test then. So you don’t have to worry.
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Hey quick question, I’ve read on Sogang website that “An offical admission letter can be cancelled for students who cannot enter the country before the day of placement test.”
Is this legit or do they allow students to miss the placement test? I’m afraid they cancel my admission letter cause I will arrive in Korea about 2 days before the first day of class for the fall semester and the placement will obviously have happened before. As I read on your blog if we don’t know ow to write or read or even speak it then we don’t have to take it, did this rule change recently or not?
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This is a new rule. I don’t attend Sogang anymore so I’m not keeping up on Sogang’s rules. I’m going to have to change this part in my blog. This change is probably to reduce the amount of students switching levels at the beginning of the year and to more accurately prepare for class sizes. I don’t know if they’ll cancel your admission if you don’t (in my opinion I would guess they won’t), but I would recommend trying everything you can to arrive so you can take the placement test.
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