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| Students leave Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul after taking the university's essay test, Sunday. The Ministry of Education called for universities to take thorough antivirus measures to prevent COVID-19 infections during their own tests. / Yonhap |
By Jun Ji-hye
The state-run College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) taken by more than 490,000 high school seniors and other applicants was held last Thursday amid concerns over COVID-19, but health authorities are still on high alert as college hopefuls now have to do essays, interviews, performance tests and other assignments conducted by universities.
According to the Ministry of Education, Sunday, universities across the country are planning to hold more than 600,000 of their own tests until Dec. 22, and some 400,000 students are expected to take these tests.
Sungkyunkwan University and Sogang University in Seoul already began their own essay tests, Saturday.
Given that most of the major universities in Korea are centered in Seoul, it is inevitable for students living in other parts of the country and their parents to move around the nation.
"Students nationwide are moving around to take universities' interviews and essay tests after the CSAT," said Lim Sook-young, a senior official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). "Some universities are expected to be crowded with many applicants, thus extra caution is required."
The education ministry earlier asked universities to expand online exams to prevent infections, but it was an inevitable choice for universities to hold in-person essay writing and performance tests to ensure fairness, according to an official from a Seoul-based university.
In an effort to prevent COVID-19 infections, universities have prepared antivirus measures, asking applicants to wear face masks at all times.
Sogang University installed thermal imaging cameras at entrances of all buildings to check the body temperature of visitors, and asked those with fever and other symptoms associated with the virus to take the test at separate places.
The ministry said it will focus on supervising antivirus measures at universities until Dec. 22.
