"Establishment of Software Private Certification Guidelines with Written and Practical Test Ratios Each Above 30%"

[Asia Economy Reporter Joselgina] For the first time in the private certification sector for software (SW) education such as coding, guidelines have been established. By ensuring that the written and practical exam ratios are each at least 30%, it is expected to contribute not only to the qualitative improvement of private certifications through substantial evaluations but also to the enhancement of consumer rights protection.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, together with the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, will announce the "Guidelines for the Operation of Private Certifications for Software Education Instructors and Software Competency" on the 30th to improve the quality of private certifications in the software education field such as coding.

The number of private certifications in the software education field surged from one in 2015, when education became mandatory, to 377 last year. However, many operating institutions did not disclose essential information such as exams, training schedules, and instructor details required for certification acquisition, or issued certifications without substantial evaluations of computing thinking skills, which led to criticisms that the reliability of the certifications was undermined.

To address these issues, the Ministry of Science and ICT inspected the status of private certifications related to software education last December and, based on this, drafted the guidelines and collected feedback through a consultation process.

Reviewing the contents of the guidelines, the core is the basic matters that operating institutions must strive for to ensure the substantial operation of private certifications. First, private certification operating institutions must systematically manage certifications by subdividing levels and fields according to the certification’s level and content so that consumers can clearly understand the characteristics of the certification.

Additionally, for substantial evaluation, in the case of private certifications for software education instructors, the exam subjects should be composed to evaluate computing thinking skills and teaching-learning competencies, with the written and practical exam ratios each being at least 30%. For private certifications of software competency, the exam subjects should be structured to evaluate computing thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ratio of items assessing essential knowledge and those assessing problem-solving skills must each be at least 30%.

Annual qualification operation plans must be established by December 31 each year, and the established plans should be disclosed on the institution’s website, among other places. Furthermore, essential disclosure items such as training schedules related to qualification training, instructor details, and costs required to obtain the certification have also been designated.

Song Kyung-hee, Software Policy Officer at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “It is meaningful that guidelines have been prepared for the software education field for the first time among private certifications by sector, and we hope that high-quality private certifications based on consumer trust will be established and contribute to the development of software education.”

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training plan to strengthen promotion so that these guidelines can be utilized by all operating institutions of private certifications in the software education field through continuous cooperation. In addition, the Ministry of Science and ICT will conduct annual surveys to periodically assess the effectiveness of the guidelines and the status of private certifications.

Private certification managers or consumers can search for these guidelines on the Private Certification Information Service website (www.pdi.or.kr), the SW-Centered Society Portal, EBS Isop, and other platforms.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.