Suneung Entrance Exam Fever 2024 in South Korea

National examination day is quite a stress for the entire country. Flights are delayed, traffic is stagnant, office workers come to work later not to hinder the examinees, and police, along with taxi drivers, offer free rides to schools for those being late—the entire country is united by what is called Suneung exam, held annually around mid-November.

Pressure of College Entrance Exam

South Korea is one of a few countries where national exams are such a big deal. The examination day is the most stressful day in the life of every 17-year-old Korean, as their entire future depends on the College Scholastic Ability Test, CSAT for short. All high schoolers wish to get the highest score to enter the National University, but only a small percentage of them will. Those who don't are sometimes so upset that there are even reports of suicide because of it. It's unimaginable but true.

Purpose of the Test

The standardized exam is based entirely on the high school curriculum, with the aim of testing students' knowledge and his or her capability to enter college. Up until 2024, CSAT has included "killer questions," tasks that were extremely difficult to solve even for the smartest college students. These questions often covered material outside of traditional high school programs and required additional tutoring or extensive preparation.

This caused a huge influx of private tutoring schools, called hagwons or cram schools, the industry of which has been extremely successful in South Korea. In 2024, the "killer questions" were dropped from the exam, with hopes of easing the financial and mental stress on the students, as well as reliance on private education.

Preparation for CSAT

Every parent in Korea dreams about the day when they will hear the good news that their kid will have received a passing score. Families start preparing for this big event in their lives far beforehand. Children are given good luck charms from the shrines and fed rice cakes, which are supposed to help students "stick" to the passing score. Eating seaweed soup is not recommended since it's thought to cause knowledge and perfect score can slip away. Finally, on the eve of the trial, mothers head to local temples to pray for their children's success.

Day of the Exam

When the CSAT day finally comes, students rush to the testing centers, where the exam usually takes place very early in the morning, at 8:10-8:40 am. Thousands of police cars are dispatched throughout the city, ready to drive any late students to the venue. Families and friends swarm at school gates to cheer on the examinees and pray for their success.

The exam lasts an astonishing 8 hours, with one additional hour of break and lunch. During the test, the country seemingly comes to a standstill. Stock markets open later, flights are delayed during the English listening portion of the exam, and bus transportation is increased. Once the exam is over, students meet their families and can finally breathe with relief.

CSAT in Seoul

The capital city of Seoul presents the greatest chances to witness the entrance exams fever. Besides the families and loved ones of the students, numerous reporters flock to the testing centers to record this annual historical moment.