By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
The state-run college admission test will be held at 980 schools for about 585,000 college hopefuls across the country today. The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) will take place from 8:40 a.m. to 6:05 p.m.
The test takers must be seated at their test locations with their exam ID and student ID card by 8:10 a.m. If a student loses an exam ID, the candidate must report to a supervisor by 8 a.m. in order to get a temporary slip issued. Also they are banned from bringing mobile phones, digital cameras, and electric dictionaries into the exam room.
To reduce traffic for exam-taking students, civil servants and employees of major companies in most cities except Jeju city are allowed to report to work at 10 o’clock, one hour later than usual.
Subways will run more frequently between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and more buses and taxies will be provided. Other vehicles will not be allowed within 200 meters of test sites.
Buses and trains will have to lower their speeds around test locations to avoid distracting students during listening comprehension tests for 13 minutes from 8:40 a.m. to 8:53 a.m. and for 20 minutes from 1:10 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Also, domestic flights will be delayed for brief periods.
The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development encouraged the test takers to use public transportation and has asked people to minimize all possible inconvenience to the college hopefuls.
Prior to Thursday’s annual college entrance exam, students with last-minute jitters gathered Wednesday afternoon at middle and high schools where they have to check their test location, transportation and details written on their exam IDs.
Scores on the test will determine whether students can enter their favored universities for the 2008 academic year. Test scores will be released to students by Dec. 12. Four-year colleges and universities nationwide plan to admit a total of 378,268 freshmen for the academic year beginning next March, according to the ministry, a slight increase from 377,458 last year.
The Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) will air three special programs analyzing test trends and review test questions according to subjects. Also, questions and answers will be provided through its Web site.