Rail Operation and Control Licenses... Transition from 'Written Exam to Computer-Based Test'

(Data provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority announced on the 6th that the written exams for obtaining licenses for railway vehicle operators and railway traffic controllers will be switched from the existing paper-based test (PBT) to a computer-based test (CBT), starting from the 7th.

While the previous PBT method typically took about a week from the end of the exam to the announcement of results, the CBT method processes all exam procedures?including distribution of exam questions, grading, and result compilation?in real time digitally, allowing candidates to check their pass/fail status immediately after the exam ends.

Previously, an average of about 700 candidates nationwide gathered at a single regional test site per exam, but now test centers will be established at eight regional headquarters of the Authority nationwide, including Seoul and Gyeonggi, and the number of exam sessions will increase from 8 times a year to more than 20 times.

Candidates can choose their preferred exam date and location to take the test.

Before introducing the CBT method, the Transportation Safety Authority distributed guidance materials to regional training institutions, conducted four mock tests, and collected feedback. They plan to monitor the initial implementation in real time to prepare for any unusual situations.

Along with the CBT implementation, the Authority will gradually expand the types of questions beyond simple memorization to include case-based questions related to accident types, human errors, and emergency measures that may occur in railway operation and control work.

Kang Hee-eop, Director of Railway Safety Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "Through this exam method reform, trainees preparing for railway operation and control qualifications will be able to prepare for the license exam more conveniently, and the introduction of the digital method is expected to help ensure the fairness of the exam."

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