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Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 1 (직업상담사 1급, South Korea)

Practice Questions100 questions

Exam Review

Key Facts: Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) Exam

100 MCQs / 150 Min

Written CBT Format

HRD Korea Q-Net Examination Regulations

40% / 60%

Passing Standards (Floor / Average)

National Technical Qualifications Act

KRW 19,400

Written Test Registration Fee

Q-Net Official Fee Schedule

5 Subjects

Curriculum Lineup (20 Questions Each)

Ministry of Employment and Labor Blueprint

No Prerequisites

Open Access Eligibility

Framework Act on Qualifications

2.5 Hours

Practical Written Exam Duration

Q-Net Practical Exam Standards

Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 certifies fundamental competence in vocational counseling models, psychological assessment, occupational data classification, labor market analysis, and Korean labor relations statutes under the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Sample Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In E.G. Williamson's Trait-and-Factor (특성-요인) vocational counseling, which step immediately follows the 'Analysis' (분석) stage in the six-stage counseling process?

A.Synthesis (종합): organizing and integrating case data to evaluate the client's assets and liabilities

B.Prognosis (예후): predicting the client's future vocational success and adjustment

C.Counseling (상담): directly advising and instructing the client on career choice

D.Follow-up (추수지도): assessing whether the client has adjusted successfully to the chosen career

Explanation: Williamson's six-stage trait-and-factor counseling process proceeds in the following sequential order: 1. Analysis (분석), 2. Synthesis (종합), 3. Diagnosis (진단), 4. Prognosis (예후), 5. Counseling/Treatment (상담), and 6. Follow-up (추수지도). Synthesis immediately follows analysis.

2In Edward Bordin's psychodynamic diagnostic framework for career choice problems, which diagnostic category describes a client who possesses sufficient talent and occupational information but is paralyzed by conflicting loyalties between their personal ambitions and parental career expectations?

A.Lack of information (정보의 부족)

B.Internal conflict (내적 갈등 / 자아 갈등)

C.Choice anxiety (선택의 불안)

D.Dependence (의존성)

Explanation: In Bordin's diagnostic system, 'Internal Conflict' (내적 갈등) occurs when a client experiences an intrapsychic clash between two opposing motivations or values, such as pursuing personal artistic aspirations versus conforming to parental demands for an elite corporate career.

3According to Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Counseling (인간중심상담), what are the three core counselor attitudes considered necessary and sufficient to foster constructive psychological growth in a client?

A.Interpretation, Direct Advice, and Socratic Cross-Examination

B.Objective Assessment, Systematic Desensitization, and Behavioral Rehearsal

C.Congruence/Genuineness (일치성/진실성), Unconditional Positive Regard (무조건적 긍정적 존중), and Accurate Empathic Understanding (공감적 이해)

D.Cognitive Restructuring, Transference Analysis, and Resistance Interpretation

Explanation: Carl Rogers identified three essential therapist conditions for therapeutic change: (1) Congruence or genuineness (being authentic and transparent), (2) Unconditional positive regard (accepting the client without judgment or conditions of worth), and (3) Accurate empathic understanding (sensing the client's inner world as if it were one's own).

4In Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), what does the letter 'D' represent in the classic ABCDEF therapeutic framework?

A.Activating event (선행사건)

B.Belief system (신념체계)

C.Emotional Consequence (정서적 결과)

D.Disputing irrational beliefs (비합리적 신념에 대한 논박)

Explanation: In Ellis's ABCDEF model: A = Activating event (선행사건), B = Belief system (신념체계), C = Emotional/behavioral Consequences (결과), D = Disputing irrational beliefs (논박), E = Effective new philosophy (효과), and F = new Feeling (새로운 감정).

5In Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy, which cognitive distortion (인지적 왜곡) is exemplified when a job applicant who stumbled over one sentence in an otherwise strong panel interview concludes, 'That interview was a total failure - either I perform flawlessly or I am worthless, there is nothing in between'?

A.Personalization (개인화)

B.All-or-nothing, dichotomous thinking (이분법적 사고 / 흑백논리)

C.Emotional reasoning (감정적 추론)

D.Mind reading (독심술)

Explanation: All-or-nothing thinking (이분법적 사고, also called dichotomous or black-and-white thinking) sorts experience into two mutually exclusive absolute categories with no intermediate ground, so a single imperfect sentence converts a strong performance into 'total failure'. Beck lists it separately from overgeneralization (과잉일반화), which instead derives a sweeping rule about all future occasions from one incident.

6In behavioral vocational counseling, what technique developed by Joseph Wolpe pairs progressive muscle relaxation with gradual exposure to an anxiety-provoking hierarchy to eliminate job interview phobias?

A.Flooding (홍수법)

B.Aversive conditioning (혐오치료)

C.Systematic Desensitization (체계적 둔감법 / 체계적 탈감작)

D.Covert sensitization (잠재적 감작법)

Explanation: Systematic desensitization (체계적 둔감법) uses reciprocal inhibition: a state incompatible with anxiety (such as deep muscle relaxation) is paired step-by-step with an escalating hierarchy of feared stimuli until the conditioned anxiety response is extinguished.

7In Fritz Perls' Gestalt Therapy, which therapeutic technique involves having the client address an imagined unresolved conflict or internal polarity by switching between two physical chairs?

A.Socratic dialogue technique

B.Free association psychoanalysis

C.Token economy exchange

D.Empty Chair Technique (빈 의자 기법)

Explanation: The Empty Chair Technique (빈 의자 기법) in Gestalt therapy is used to externalize internal splits (e.g., top-dog vs underdog) or express unfinished business with significant persons by having the client speak from one chair and then move to the opposite chair to respond.

8In Eric Berne's Transactional Analysis (TA / 교류분석), what are the three basic Ego States (자아상태) that comprise the human personality structure?

A.Parent (P), Adult (A), and Child (C) ego states (부모, 성인, 어린이 자아상태)

B.Id, Ego, and Superego

C.Conscious, Subconscious, and Unconscious

D.Persona, Shadow, and Anima

Explanation: Transactional Analysis conceptualizes personality around three distinct ego states: Parent (P - values, rules, nurturing or critical attitudes copied from parental figures), Adult (A - objective, logical, data-processing reality testing), and Child (C - feelings, impulses, spontaneous or adapted childhood reactions).

9In basic counseling communication skills, which technique is demonstrated when a counselor states: 'You seem to feel deeply resentful and discouraged because your former employer dismissed you right before the annual bonus payout'?

A.Confrontation (직면)

B.Self-disclosure (자기개방)

C.Reflection of feeling (감정의 반영)

D.Information giving (정보제공)

Explanation: Reflection of feeling (감정의 반영) involves identifying the client's underlying emotional state (resentful and discouraged) and communicating that emotional essence back to the client in fresh words to convey empathy and facilitate emotional exploration.

10When is the counseling technique of 'Confrontation' (직면) most appropriately utilized in vocational counseling?

A.During the initial two minutes of the intake session to assert counselor authority

B.To punish an uncooperative client who misses a scheduled psychometric testing session

C.Whenever the counselor wishes to terminate the counseling relationship abruptly

D.When pointing out a meaningful discrepancy between a client's stated career goals and their actual behaviors (e.g. claiming to want a civil service career while never studying)

Explanation: Confrontation is a constructive intervention used after solid rapport is established to gently but directly point out incongruities, discrepancies, or blind spots between what the client says and what they actually do, promoting self-awareness and accountability.

About the Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) Exam

Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) is South Korea's primary national qualification for career counseling and employment service specialists, qualifying professionals to guide job seekers, administer psychological tests, analyze occupational data, and facilitate vocational placement under the Employment Security Act.

Exam sponsor: Ministry of Employment and Labor (고용노동부) / Human Resources Development Service of Korea (한국산업인력공단). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

5 subjects under the current Q-Net 출제기준 in force 1 Jan 2025 – 31 Dec 2027: 1. Vocational Psychology (직업심리, 20 Qs), 2. Vocational Counselling and Employment Support (직업상담 및 취업지원, 20 Qs), 3. Occupational Information (직업정보, 20 Qs), 4. Labour Market (노동시장, 20 Qs), 5. Employment and Labour Relations Statutes I (고용노동관계법규(Ⅰ), 20 Qs); total 100 four-option questions in 150 minutes. The subject titles were renamed from the pre-2025 set (직업상담학·직업심리학·직업정보론·노동시장론·노동관계법규); the tested content areas are equivalent.

Time Limit

150 minutes (2.5 hours)

Passing Score

40% minimum per subject (과목당 40점 이상) and 60% overall average (전과목 평균 60점 이상)

Exam / Certification Fees

KRW 19,400 (Written) / KRW 20,800 (Practical)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

20%

Subject 1: Vocational Psychology (직업심리)

Covers foundational counseling concepts, trait-and-factor counseling (Williamson), psychodynamic counseling (Bordin), person-centered counseling (Rogers), behavioral and cognitive-behavioral counseling (Ellis REBT, Beck), gestalt counseling (Perls), counseling process stages (relationship building, assessment, goal setting, intervention, evaluation/termination), and basic counseling techniques (active listening, empathy, confrontation, reframing).

20%

Subject 2: Vocational Counselling and Employment Support (직업상담 및 취업지원)

Covers vocational choice and developmental theories (Holland RIASEC typology, Super life-span life-space model, Dawis & Lofquist theory of work adjustment, Gottfredson circumscription and compromise, Roe personality theory), psychological testing concepts (standardization, norm types, reliability, validity), cognitive and aptitude tests (GATB), interest inventories (Strong, Kuder), personality tests (MBTI, Big Five), and occupational stress and burnout.

20%

Subject 3: Occupational Information (직업정보)

Covers occupational information concepts and sources, Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (KSCO / 한국표준직업분류), Korean Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC / 한국표준산업분류), Dictionary of Korean Occupations (한국직업사전), WorkNet and HRD-Net systems, employment indicators (unemployment rate, employment rate, economic activity participation rate), and occupational trends.

20%

Subject 4: Labour Market (노동시장)

Covers labor market fundamentals: labor demand and derived demand, elasticity of labor demand (Marshall's rules), labor supply (individual income-leisure choice, backward-bending supply curve), wage determination theories, wage differentials (compensating differentials, human capital, discrimination), wage payment systems (seniority, performance, job-based), and unemployment types (frictional, structural, cyclical, seasonal).

20%

Subject 5: Employment and Labour Relations Statutes I (고용노동관계법규(Ⅰ))

Covers core South Korean labor statutes: Labor Standards Act (근로계약, 임금, 근로시간, 해고제한, 퇴직급여), Framework Act on Employment Policy (고용정책기본법), Employment Security Act (직업안정법), Act on the Development of Vocational Skills of Workers (국민 평생 직업능력 개발법), and Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act (남녀고용평등법).

Preparing for the Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 40% minimum per subject (과목당 40점 이상) and 60% overall average (전과목 평균 60점 이상)
Assessment: 5 subjects under the current Q-Net 출제기준 in force 1 Jan 2025 – 31 Dec 2027: 1. Vocational Psychology (직업심리, 20 Qs), 2. Vocational Counselling and Employment Support (직업상담 및 취업지원, 20 Qs), 3. Occupational Information (직업정보, 20 Qs), 4. Labour Market (노동시장, 20 Qs), 5. Employment and Labour Relations Statutes I (고용노동관계법규(Ⅰ), 20 Qs); total 100 four-option questions in 150 minutes. The subject titles were renamed from the pre-2025 set (직업상담학·직업심리학·직업정보론·노동시장론·노동관계법규); the tested content areas are equivalent.
Time limit: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
Exam / certification fees: KRW 19,400 (Written) / KRW 20,800 (Practical) Official sources

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Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급): Suggested Study Strategy

1Master Holland's Hexagonal Calculus: Memorize the order R-I-A-S-E-C on the hexagon. Understand how adjacent types represent high consistency (일관성) and opposite types represent low consistency.

2Differentiate Super's Life-Span Stages: Know the five major stages (Growth 성장기, Exploration 탐색기, Establishment 확립기, Maintenance 유지기, Disengagement 쇠퇴기) and their respective sub-stages and developmental tasks.

3Distinguish Ordinary Wage vs Average Wage: In Korean labor law, understand 통상임금 (fixed, regular, uniform hourly rate used for overtime, night, and holiday pay) vs 평균임금 (actual earnings over the prior 3 months used for severance pay and accident compensation).

4Practice Labor Economic Formula Calculations: Be ready to calculate the labor force participation rate (경제활동참가율), unemployment rate (실업률), and employment rate (고용률) from working-age population data.

5Review KSCO Classification Principles: Understand the principles of uniqueness, specialization, and multi-skill classification under the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations (한국표준직업분류).

6Learn Private Employment Agency Rules: Memorize the statutory requirements for registering a fee-charging placement business (유료직업소개사업) vs reporting a free placement business (무료직업소개사업) under the Employment Security Act.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 (직업상담사 2급) and who qualifies to sit?

Korea Vocational Counselor Grade 2 is an open-access National Technical Qualification (국가기술자격) overseen by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and administered by HRD Korea. Anyone can sit for the exam; there are no age, educational, or professional prerequisites.

What is the examination structure and passing criteria for Grade 2?

The written exam comprises 100 four-choice multiple-choice questions across five subjects (20 questions each): Vocational Counseling, Vocational Psychology, Occupational Information, Labor Market Theory, and Labor Relations Law. The test duration is 150 minutes. Passing requires scoring at least 40% in each subject (과락 방지) and achieving an overall average of 60% or higher.

What does the second-stage practical examination evaluate?

The practical examination (직업상담실무) is a 2.5-hour descriptive written paper (필답형, 100 points) evaluating short-answer definitions, counseling case analysis, psychological test interpretation, and employment assistance program design. Passing requires a score of 60 points or higher.

How are RIASEC types matched to work environments in Subject 2?

John Holland's RIASEC model classifies individuals and work environments into six types: Realistic (실제형), Investigative (탐구형), Artistic (예술형), Social (사회형), Enterprising (기업형), and Conventional (관습형). The degree of congruence, consistency (calculus hexagonal model), and differentiation determines career satisfaction and stability.

What are Marshall's four rules of labor demand elasticity in Subject 4?

Under Alfred Marshall's derived demand rules, labor demand is more wage-elastic when: 1. Price elasticity of product demand is higher; 2. Labor can be more easily substituted by other factors (e.g., capital); 3. Supply elasticity of other substitute factors is higher; and 4. The share of labor costs in total production costs is larger (with Hicks' exception).

Why is this OpenExamPrep practice bank written in English?

While the official exam in Korea is conducted in Korean, this bank provides a structured English-language study adaptation for bilingual career counselors, international human resources students, and overseas employment specialists. Authentic Korean statutory provisions and technical terms (e.g., 한국표준직업분류, 통상임금, 평균임금, 마샬의 법칙) are preserved alongside precise English explanations. This is an independent English-language study adaptation, not an official translation, not a simulation of the Korean-language CBT environment, and not a substitute for the 실기 paper (직업상담 실무), which is a written 필답형 examination of 150 minutes rather than a multiple-choice test.