# Korean proficiency test cheaters to face up to 5-year ban > Source: > Published: 2026-09-29 06:47:02+00:00 Those caught cheating on the Korean language proficiency test for non-native speakers will be banned from taking the test for up to five years under new rules expected to take effect next year, the education ministry said Tuesday. Under the strengthened rules for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), those who take tests on behalf of others, leak test questions or use forged identification will be prohibited from taking the test for five years. Existing rules banned those taking tests on behalf of others for four years. The new rules will also ban test-takers found carrying artificial intelligence (AI) devices from taking the test for two years. Those caught using such devices during the test to influence results for themselves or others will face a five-year ban. "By swiftly pushing for a revision to the enforcement decree of the Higher Education Act in the second half of this year, they (the new rules) are expected to take effect starting next year," an education ministry official said. The number of TOPIK test cheaters has jumped in recent years, reaching 606 last year, compared w