Flights halted, offices and stock market open late, police on standby as South Koreans sit for key exam

More than half a million South Korean students on Thursday (Nov 16) sat for the annual nationwide college entrance exam whileofficials took extraordinary measures, including halting flights and keeping police on standby, with even the stock market opening later than usual. This was also the first time since the Covid pandemic that the students were allowed to take the exam without masks.

The restrictions only give a sense of how important thetest is, as it is often considered life-defining in the highly competitive South Korean society.

What is this ‘life-defining’ exam?

This year, nearly 505,000 high school students, graduates and others signed up to take the nine-hour, single-day, and five-session College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) held at 1,279 test sites across the country, according to the education ministry.

The test is considered crucial for securing spots in top universities and also key for elevated social status, lucrative careers, and in some cases even marriage prospects.

Therefore, enormous pressure is placed on students in South Korea. The countryis already known for being highly competitive, whichhas been blamed for contributing to teenage depression and suicide rates which are among the highest in the world.

‘I’m nervous’

“I’m nervous and trembling because what I’ve been studying for three years ends with this exam today,” Lee Min-yup told AFP before going to take the test at Kyungbock High School in central Seoul.

Outside schools in South Korea, parents cheered for their children, hugging them and wiping away tears. While others were seen chanting phrases including “Success in Suneung,” which is the local name for the exam.

“I feel so nervous. Maybe I’m more nervous (than my daughter),” said Kim Mi-jae, mother of an 18-year-old student in Seoul, as quoted by Reuters.

‘Extraordinary measures’

Every year, South Korean officials take extraordinary measures to prevent any disturbances during the test.

This time around, the country’s transportation ministry imposed a nationwide 35-minute ban on all aircraft takeoffs and landings, aside from emergency situations, so that students are not disturbed during the listening comprehension portion of the English test.

More than 90 flights had to be rescheduled because of the exam, on Thursday, as per AFP.

Public offices and major businesses were requested to adjust their opening hours to 10:00 am (local time) or later to avoid traffic congestion and ensure students arrived at their venues for the exam on time which began at 8:40 am (local time).

The stock market also opened an hour later than usual to help ease the traffic. This year was also different as the test-takers were not required to wear face masks, unlike the previous three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The police and regional government officials were on standby to help students running late for the exam reach their test sites ontime.

The difficulty of this year’s exam has yet to be confirmed, but South Korean officials have said it would not include the so-called “killer questions” which are said to typically be drawn from material not covered in public school curriculum.

The so-called “killer questions” are so controversial that even President Yoon Suk Yeol has criticised them, sayingthey are causing people to spend billions on private education, one of the factors behind the country’s declining fertility rate.

According to government data, South Koreans spent nearly $20 billion on private education last year.

(With inputs from agencies)