When someone files a civil service exam application and then changes their mind, many give up on a refund on the assumption that "registration is over, so the money is gone." In fact, for national civil service exams a dedicated cancellation period opens the day after registration closes, and the exam fee is refunded only if you cancel by 18:00 on the last day of that period. This article is based on Ministry of Personnel Management Notice No. 2026-1, the "2026 Plan Notice for National Civil Service Open Competitive Recruitment Exams", and the exam fee provision of the Civil Service Appointment Examination Decree, both checked on 19 October 2026. The 2027 plan notice has not been published yet, so the dates below are the 2026 schedule used as an example.

A cancellation period starts as soon as registration ends

The schedule table in the notice has a separate cancellation period (additional cancellation period) column next to the application submission period. The Decree is built the same way. It provides, in substance, that the fee is returned in full if you withdraw during the application period or within three days from the day after it closes, and the cancellation period in the notice corresponds to those three days. Check the current wording on the National Law Information Center.

In the 2026 schedule, the Grade 9 window ran from February 7 to 9

Converting the notice's schedule table by rank gives the following.

• Grade 9: submission Feb 2 09:00 to Feb 6 21:00, cancellation Feb 7 09:00 to Feb 9 18:00, additional cancellation Mar 23 09:00 to Mar 25 18:00, written exam Mar 27
• Grade 7: submission May 11 09:00 to May 15 21:00, cancellation May 16 09:00 to May 18 18:00, additional cancellation Jul 6 09:00 to Jul 8 18:00, first exam Jul 18
• Grade 5 (administration): submission Jan 19 09:00 to Jan 23 21:00, cancellation Jan 24 09:00 to Jan 26 18:00, additional cancellation Feb 23 09:00 to Feb 25 18:00, first exam Mar 7

The cancellation period opens at 9 a.m. the day after registration closes and shuts at 18:00 on the third day. If registration closes on a Friday at 21:00, it runs from Saturday morning to Monday at 6 p.m.

A refund applies only to those who cancel by 18:00 on the final cancellation day

The wording of the notice is simple. "Only those who cancel by 18:00 on the final cancellation day of the application will receive a refund of the exam fee." The same sentence appears in the notices for Grades 5, 7 and 9.
The only condition written for a refund is cancellation. Filing an application and then not turning up at the exam is not cancellation, so it is safer to assume that sentence gives you no basis for a refund. Make your decision by the cancellation deadline, not by the exam date.

For the additional cancellation period, cancellation is confirmed but a refund is not stated

The notice carries this remark: "If you cannot cancel within the final cancellation day, you may cancel your application during the separately designated additional cancellation period."
What this confirms goes only as far as you can cancel the application. The notice does not say whether the fee comes back if you cancel in that period. The refund sentence is written around 18:00 on the final cancellation day, so do not treat the additional period as a refund opportunity, and check the guidance in the National Civil Service Recruitment System first.

Fees differ by rank, and a payment handling charge is added

The 2026 notice sets the exam fee at KRW 10,000 for Grade 5, KRW 7,000 for Grade 7 and KRW 5,000 for Grade 9. The notice states that a small handling charge is separate for mobile phone, card or bank transfer payments.
The notice does not say what happens to that charge at refund. Even if you are refunded, the amount may differ from what you paid.

If you are exempt, you can skip the payment step altogether

Check for an exemption before you think about refunds. The 2026 notice says that anyone in one of the following groups at the time of submission is exempt from the exam fee.

• Recipients of benefits or the near-poor under the National Basic Living Security Act
• Persons eligible for support under the Single-Parent Family Support Act
• Recipients under the Disability Pension Act
• People with two or more minor children

The planned widening of the exempt groups is covered in Civil Service Exam Fees Are Being Waived for More Applicants, and the low-income track that changes from 2027 is in The 2027 Grade 9 low-income track.

What you can fix during registration and what you cannot fix afterwards

According to the notice, entries such as job series, exam region and local talent status can be edited during the submission period but not after it ends. The registered photo file also cannot be changed once the period is over.
So if you want to change your series or region, it has to be done within the registration period. You also cannot submit multiple applications for the same rank in open competitive exams run by the Ministry of Personnel Management. The limits between national and local exams are in National versus local civil service, and bonus points, which are registered after the exam, are in Civil Service Exam Bonus Points Are Registered After the Exam.

Order of steps and where to check

1) From the notice, write the submission period, cancellation period and additional cancellation period for your rank on a calendar. 2) Check whether you are exempt first, and if not, pay. 3) Recheck your series, region and photo within the registration period. 4) If you plan to drop out, cancel directly in the system before 18:00 on the last day of the cancellation period.
Refund conditions and times can change in each year's notice, and local government exams must be checked separately in each city or province's notice. This article does not replace legal advice, so confirm the final decision in that year's notice on the National Civil Service Recruitment System (gongmuwon.gosi.kr) and with the Ministry of Personnel Management. The sources are Ministry of Personnel Management Notice No. 2026-1 and the exam fee provision of the Civil Service Appointment Examination Decree.