CSAT’s difficulty dilemma

As this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), known in Korean as "suneung," approaches on Nov. 13, tension is mounting across South Korea. This year, 554,174 students have registered for the exam, a significant rise from last year’s 522,670.

The increase is largely attributed to the number of high school seniors — 371,897, the most since 2020. They were born in 2007, the so-called “Golden Pig Year.” There is a popular saying that people born in the golden pig year will be happy and successful throughout their lives. Maybe that’s why the birth rate that year was very high.

The CSAT remains a cornerstone of South Korea’s university admissions, especially for regular admissions. While early admissions consider school grades and extracurriculars, many universities still require minimum CSAT scores, making the test a decisive factor for thousands of students. As a result, preparation is intense and the emotional toll is considerable.

Beyond the pressure lies another recurrent question: Is there any chance that this year’s CSAT could be a “bul-suneung” or “mul-suneung”? These colloquial terms, literally “fire test” and “water test,” reflect public sentiment about the exam’s difficulty. A bul-suneung is notoriously hard, often leaving students demoralized and skewing admissions results. A mul-suneung, on the other hand, is so easy that it fails to distinguish top performers, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Unfortunately, consistency in the CSAT difficulty level has been elusive. Despite efforts by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation to calibrate the test each year, success has been mixed. Last year’s exam was widely considered a bul-suneung, prompting speculation that this year’s might be easier. However, several issues suggest otherwise.

Some factors, including more applicants, make predicting the test’s difficulty a guessing game. For one, the medical school quota, which was widely expanded last year, has been adjusted again, potentially increasing competition. Moreover, the September mock exam held by the testing authority was reportedly very difficult, hinting that the actual CSAT might follow suit. It won’t be known until the test is over and reactions pour in.

As a retired education expert, I sincerely hope this year’s CSAT will be neither especially hard or easy, but instead fair and uneventful. The last thing students need is controversy or confusion dominating headlines after the exam. A balanced test is required.

Looking ahead, it is worth reflecting on the broader system. South Korea’s college admissions are tightly managed by the state, and while this helps curb corruption, it also creates stress and dissatisfaction among students and universities. A more flexible system that respects students’ autonomy and universities’ discretion could reduce the annual drama around the CSAT.

It is undeniable that both as a society and individuals, Korea has achieved remarkable progress through rapid, compressed development, and education has played a key role in that journey. Naturally, ensuring fairness in university entrance exams became a national priority, making active government oversight and intervention inevitable.

Now, I believe it’s time for change. As we face an era of unprecedented low birthrates, the government must take a more flexible and adaptive approach to university admissions policies. This shift is essential not only to respond to demographic challenges but also to build a more sustainable and responsive educational infrastructure for the future.

Perhaps someday, we’ll no longer hear cries of "too easy" or "too hard." Instead, we’ll have a system that empowers students to pursue their goals without being at the mercy of a single test. But for now, because the CSAT’s difficulty dilemma still exists, all eyes are on Nov. 13.

Sho Chang-young is a retired high school teacher and former principal of Gunsan Girls' High School.