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| High school juniors and sophomores bow for success for seniors who take the College Scholastic Ability Test at Sokcho High School in Gangwon Province, Thursday. Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
More than 500,000 students took the government-administered university entrance exam in 1,190 test venues across the country, Thursday, with the entire nation hushing for the crucial test.
The five-part College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) started at 8:40 a.m. with the Korean language portion of the exam and ran until 5:40 p.m., according to the Ministry of Education.
This year's exam drew 594,924 test-takers, but the absentee rate stood at 9.48 percent, meaning only 536,107 actually took the exam.
In order to ensure students would arrive at test venues on time, public offices and major businesses started work an hour later than usual and the frequency of public transport was increased. The nation's stock markets also began and closed their trading hours an hour later, operating from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Planes were grounded briefly in the afternoon when the English listening test took place and other forms of transportation such as buses and trains were ordered not to use their horns near test sites in order to prevent distractions.
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The national exam day is one of the most significant events in Korea as the results from the CSAT profoundly impact the futures of test-takers.
Parents and high school juniors and sophomores flocked in front of each testing site to pray and cheer for test-takers' success when the senior students were passing by en route to the venues.
A typo was found in the paper of the Korean language exam ― although it did not severely affect students solving the questions.
"I sincerely apologize for the typo irrespective of its seriousness," said Lee Kang-lae, a history professor of Chonnam National University who headed the exam boards.
Air pollution, a seriously emerging health issue in the nation, impacted the college exam as fine dust levels were bad in Seoul and its surrounding area, as well as South Chungcheong Province and North Jeolla Province.
Considering the sensitive issue, the education ministry unprecedentedly allowed students to wear masks during the test ― although they had to undergo an identity verification check before each section.
This year, many applicants with varied stories took the exam. The rarest was Yoo Young-ja, 78, who was the oldest test-taker.
Due to domestic reasons, Yoo could not enter middle school when she was young. In 2015 she was admitted to a continuing education school, where she could receive middle school and high school diplomas after finishing a two-year course.
Students' results are scheduled to come out on Dec. 5.
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