I recall my Korean peers talking about preparing for '자격증 시험' often, and I never paid much attention to it because life as a foreigner taking university classes in Korean is stressful enough. That was until I entered my senior year. I had very few credits left to take and suddenly I felt bored. I needed academic pressure again.

I started looking for online courses or exams I could take that would add something to my resume, and I stumbled upon the 무역영어(Trade in English) certification. Considering this was my introduction to the world of Korean standardized exams (except the TOPIK), I figured that perhaps doing something that still included a lot of English would be easier on my very prone-to-stress mind.

I am set to take the exam this May, but I started studying a while ago. Technically, I should have taken it last year November, but my schedules didn't quite align. Nonetheless, here goes some information that might be useful for those interested! :)

*Keep in mind these certifications are not required of foreign students nor job seekers. Most companies focus on Korean proficiency. But still, they add to your overall "specs" as a candidate. Plus, it's a wonderful (but quite challenging) way to improve your Korean vocabulary.

1. Where to sign up...

Information on exams, like the famous '컴활(컴퓨터활용능력),' that are often required for Korean nationals to graduate from university are available at the 대한상공회의소 자격평가사업단 (The Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry Qualification Evaluation Business Team, or KoCham for short) website. Once you sign up you can easily check the examination dates and exam details.

2. 무역영어: Basic Details

The exam tests you on your general knowledge of trade and English skills related to trade and business. If you have no clue about things like Incoterms, bills of lading, letters of credit, etc., there's a long way to go. But you got this, I also started from square one.

• There are three levels: 1, 2, 3급. Level 3 is the easiest, level 1 the hardest.

Level 3 consists of the general knowledge a high school student interested in pursuing a major in trade/business should have. Level 2 is aimed at university students majoring in related fields. Level 1 is for those who graduated from trade/business majors.

• The exams consist of 3 subjects(과목), and 75 questions in total.

The subjects are: 영문해석 (interpretation of English texts), 영작문 (composition of English texts), 무역실무 (practice of trade). Each section has 25 questions, all multiple choice. The last section is normally mostly in Korean.

• You need an average of 60 points (adding up all three sections) to pass, except for level 1.

Level 1 also requires an everage of at least 60 points, but the individual score of any one section cannot go below 40 points. Essentially, for levels 2 and 3, you can perform really well on the two English sections and not so great on the Korean one and still pass. For level 1, getting a 90, 86, but 35 would disqualify you despite having a total average of 70.3 points.

• Currently, the test is taken eight times a year. Four in May, four in November.

• The test is taken on a computer.

• The exam costs 33,000 won, and you can take multiple levels on the same day.

What some people do is sign up for levels 1 and 2 on the same day, and have an assured level 2 in case they fail level 1. That's up to you, of course.

3. How to prepare...