100+ Free Korean Medical Licensing Examination Practice Questions

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1 / 100

Question 1

Score: 0/0

A term newborn is jaundiced at 18 hours of life. Which feature makes this jaundice pathologic rather than physiologic?

Onset before 24 hours of life

Breastfeeding with adequate hydration

Resolution during the first week

Mild jaundice peaking on day 3

to track

Same family resources

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Korean Medical Licensing Examination Exam

320

official written CBT questions

KHPLEI physician written exam information and 2026 CBT guide

4 x 105 min

written CBT session timing

KHPLEI 2026 physician written CBT guide

60% overall + 40% each subject

written passing rule

KHPLEI passing criteria page

320,000 KRW

2026 written CBT fee

KHPLEI 2026 written CBT schedule

75.9%

latest KHPLEI-listed physician exam pass rate

KHPLEI yearly national exam pass-rate table

The Korean Medical Licensing Examination for physicians is administered by KHPLEI/Kuksiwon. The written CBT has 320 official five-option MCQs across four 105-minute sessions, with a written passing rule of at least 60% overall and at least 40% in each subject. Final physician licensure also requires passing the clinical skill test.

Sample Korean Medical Licensing Examination Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Korean Medical Licensing Examination exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A 58-year-old man has crushing substernal chest pain for 40 minutes. ECG shows ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF. What is the most appropriate immediate management while arranging definitive reperfusion?

A.Give aspirin and activate emergency reperfusion pathway

B.Schedule outpatient treadmill testing

C.Start oral antibiotics for presumed pneumonia

D.Observe and repeat ECG only after 6 hours

Explanation: Inferior ST elevation with ongoing ischemic chest pain is an acute STEMI until proven otherwise. Chewable aspirin should be given promptly unless contraindicated, and the patient needs urgent reperfusion by primary PCI when available or fibrinolysis when PCI cannot be delivered in time.

2A 70-year-old woman with hypertension has sudden dyspnea, orthopnea, bibasilar crackles, and oxygen saturation of 86%. Blood pressure is 190/110 mm Hg and chest radiograph shows pulmonary edema. Which initial treatment is most appropriate?

A.Rapid IV fluids

B.Noninvasive ventilation plus nitrates if blood pressure allows

C.Oral beta-blocker loading

D.Discharge with a thiazide diuretic

Explanation: This presentation is acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema with severe hypertension. Oxygenation support with noninvasive ventilation and preload/afterload reduction with nitrates are high-yield initial steps while evaluating for ischemia and giving diuretics as needed.

3A 62-year-old man has repeated clinic blood pressures around 156/94 mm Hg. Home blood pressure averages 150/92 mm Hg. He has no acute symptoms. Which interpretation is most appropriate?

A.White-coat hypertension

B.Sustained hypertension requiring cardiovascular risk assessment and treatment planning

C.Hypertensive emergency

D.Normal blood pressure for age

Explanation: Elevated clinic and home blood pressures indicate sustained hypertension, not white-coat hypertension. The next step is global risk assessment, lifestyle intervention, evaluation for target-organ damage, and pharmacologic therapy according to risk and blood pressure level.

4A 24-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes has vomiting and abdominal pain. Glucose is 480 mg/dL, arterial pH is 7.18, bicarbonate is 10 mEq/L, and serum ketones are positive. What is the first treatment priority?

A.Subcutaneous long-acting insulin only

B.Isotonic IV fluid resuscitation before and during insulin therapy

C.Immediate bicarbonate for all patients with ketoacidosis

D.Restrict fluids to prevent cerebral edema

Explanation: Diabetic ketoacidosis causes osmotic diuresis and marked volume depletion. Initial isotonic fluid resuscitation improves perfusion and lowers counterregulatory hormones; IV insulin and potassium-guided electrolyte management follow closely.

5A 45-year-old woman has weight loss, heat intolerance, tremor, and palpitations. TSH is suppressed and free T4 is high. Diffuse goiter and ophthalmopathy are present. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A.Hashimoto thyroiditis with hypothyroidism

B.Graves disease

C.Subacute thyroiditis

D.Pheochromocytoma

Explanation: Suppressed TSH with elevated free T4 confirms thyrotoxicosis, and diffuse goiter plus ophthalmopathy strongly points to Graves disease. Initial management includes symptom control with a beta blocker and definitive antithyroid therapy planning.

6A man with cirrhosis vomits a large amount of blood. He is tachycardic and has melena. After airway assessment and IV access, which medication should be started early while arranging endoscopy?

A.Octreotide or another vasoactive splanchnic agent

B.High-dose aspirin

C.Oral iron only

D.Long-term beta blocker as sole acute therapy

Explanation: Cirrhosis with massive upper GI bleeding suggests variceal hemorrhage. Early vasoactive therapy such as octreotide, prophylactic antibiotics, resuscitation, and urgent endoscopic band ligation are core acute measures.

7A 48-year-old man has severe epigastric pain radiating to the back after heavy alcohol intake. Lipase is more than three times the upper limit of normal. Which early management step is most appropriate?

A.Early aggressive IV crystalloid, analgesia, and assessment for organ failure

B.Immediate ERCP for every case

C.Prophylactic antibiotics for all patients

D.Keep NPO for 2 weeks regardless of symptoms

Explanation: Acute pancreatitis is diagnosed by typical pain plus elevated pancreatic enzymes or imaging. Early supportive care with fluids, pain control, severity assessment, and treatment of the cause is central; nutrition is advanced as tolerated when clinically appropriate.

8A 7-year-old has periorbital edema, frothy urine, serum albumin 2.0 g/dL, and heavy proteinuria. Blood pressure and complement levels are normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A.Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis

B.Minimal change disease

C.IgA nephropathy

D.Acute pyelonephritis

Explanation: A child with nephrotic syndrome, normal blood pressure, and normal complement most commonly has minimal change disease. The classic syndrome is heavy proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, edema, and often hyperlipidemia.

9A 67-year-old man develops right-sided weakness and aphasia 90 minutes before arrival. CT brain shows no hemorrhage. Blood pressure is 184/104 mm Hg and there are no contraindications. What is the most appropriate next step?

A.Give IV thrombolysis after confirming eligibility and controlling blood pressure if needed

B.Start warfarin immediately

C.Delay all treatment until MRI confirms infarction

D.Give high-dose corticosteroids

Explanation: An acute disabling ischemic stroke within the thrombolysis window and without hemorrhage should be evaluated for IV thrombolysis, with blood pressure lowered to the accepted threshold if necessary. Large-vessel occlusion assessment for thrombectomy should also proceed without delaying eligible thrombolysis.

10A smoker with known COPD has increased dyspnea, wheezing, and purulent sputum. Oxygen saturation is 86% on room air. What oxygen strategy is most appropriate initially?

A.Withhold oxygen because COPD patients all depend on hypoxic drive

B.Give controlled oxygen targeting about 88% to 92% saturation

C.Give 100% oxygen for several hours without reassessment

D.Use oxygen only after antibiotics have worked

Explanation: Hypoxemic COPD exacerbation requires oxygen, but controlled oxygen is used to avoid worsening hypercapnia in susceptible patients. A target saturation around 88% to 92% is commonly used while monitoring clinical status and blood gases.

About the Korean Medical Licensing Examination Exam

Practice for the KHPLEI/Kuksiwon physician written CBT with original clinical and Korea-context questions across medical law, general medicine, and specific clinical medicine.

Assessment

Written CBT: session 1 has Health and Medical Laws (20) plus General Medicine (60); sessions 2 through 4 each contain 80 Specific Clinical Medicine questions. The full physician licensure process also requires passing the clinical skill test.

Time Limit

420 minutes total for the written CBT, delivered as four 105-minute sessions over 2 days

Passing Score

Written CBT: 60% or higher overall and 40% or higher in each subject; final licensure requires passing both written and clinical skill tests

Exam Fee

320,000 KRW for the written CBT; KHPLEI lists the physician clinical skill test separately at 690,000 KRW (Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute (KHPLEI/Kuksiwon))

Korean Medical Licensing Examination Exam Content Outline

20/320

Health and Medical Laws

KHPLEI's law section covers named Korean health statutes and implementing rules, including infectious disease, quarantine, health insurance, emergency medical services, medical service, blood management, and life-sustaining treatment law.

60/320

General Medicine

Normal structure and function, development and aging, mechanisms of disease, major symptoms, diagnosis, testing, treatment, complications, prevention, and health-care management.

240/320

Specific Clinical Medicine

Clinical disease domains including nutrition, gastrointestinal, injury and poisoning, neoplasms, hematology, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurologic, allergy/immunology, respiratory, infectious/parasitic, endocrine/metabolic, renal/urologic, genetic/congenital, perinatal/neonatal, eye, ear, skin, reproductive, pregnancy/postpartum, and psychiatric disease.

105 physician encounters

Written Evaluation Objectives

KHPLEI's physician written objective book frames assessment around physician encounter situations and minimum competence, with 105 encounter situations and 522 essential diseases.

How to Pass the Korean Medical Licensing Examination Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Written CBT: 60% or higher overall and 40% or higher in each subject; final licensure requires passing both written and clinical skill tests
Assessment: Written CBT: session 1 has Health and Medical Laws (20) plus General Medicine (60); sessions 2 through 4 each contain 80 Specific Clinical Medicine questions. The full physician licensure process also requires passing the clinical skill test.
Time limit: 420 minutes total for the written CBT, delivered as four 105-minute sessions over 2 days
Exam fee: 320,000 KRW for the written CBT; KHPLEI lists the physician clinical skill test separately at 690,000 KRW

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Korean Medical Licensing Examination Study Tips from Top Performers

1Start with KHPLEI's current-cycle notices because application windows, venue rules, and fees are cycle-specific.

2Use the official written evaluation objectives to study by physician encounter: chest pain, dyspnea, fever, abdominal pain, pregnancy bleeding, pediatric fever, shock, sepsis, medical law, and prevention.

3Treat Korean health law and public-health reporting as active exam content, not optional memorization.

4Practice first-step management questions: emergency stabilization, isolation/reporting, empiric therapy, surgery consult, and patient-safety escalation.

5For clinical facts that change over time, check current Korean clinical guidance and KHPLEI notices before the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this practice bank the official KHPLEI question set?

No. These are original practice questions written from official KHPLEI exam structure and evaluation objectives. KHPLEI publishes official past-question material with copyright restrictions, and those questions were not copied here.

How many questions are on the official written exam?

KHPLEI lists 320 written CBT questions: 20 Health and Medical Laws, 60 General Medicine, and three 80-question Specific Clinical Medicine sessions.

Why do these practice questions have four options if the official exam has five?

The official physician written CBT uses five-option multiple-choice questions. This site's question-bank schema requires exactly four options, so the practice questions use four plausible options while targeting the same clinical reasoning and content areas.

What score is needed to pass the written exam?

KHPLEI states that written-exam candidates must score at least 60% of the total points and at least 40% in each subject. Final physician licensure requires passing both the written and clinical skill tests.

What is the current written exam fee?

KHPLEI's 2026 physician written CBT schedule lists an application fee of 320,000 KRW. The physician clinical skill test is published separately at 690,000 KRW.

Does KHPLEI publish pass rates?

Yes. KHPLEI's yearly pass-rate table lists the 90th physician exam at 1,078 examinees, 818 passers, and a 75.9% pass rate, with prior years also published.