College entrance exam to be held Thursday even in event of earthquake

Students study at Kyungbok High School in central Seoul, last Friday. The once-a-year College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), which was planned for last Thursday but postponed due to Wednesday's earthquakes in Pohang, will take place this Thursday, even in the event of another powerful earthquake. / Yonhap

By Rha Hae-sung, Park Si-soo

The once-a-year College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), which was planned for last Thursday but postponed due to Wednesday’s earthquakes in Pohang, will take place this Thursday, even in the event of another powerful earthquake, the education ministry said on Monday.

“It’s impossible to push back the test again,” said Lee Jin-seog, a director of the education ministry in charge of the test. “If the test is delayed once again, all the plans and schedules related to college admissions for 2018 will be twisted and screwed up.”

The ministry and other government bodies jointly set up a three-stage contingency plan to ensure the test’s fairness.

If the ground shakes during the test, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) will instantly send out guidance on how to respond, depending on the intensity of the tremors.

If the quake is at an“endurable level,” students may continue taking the test.

A “medium level” tremor will force students to take cover under their desks and resume taking the test once the tremors are over. Classroom supervisors will compensate for the time wasted for the delay.

In case of a serious emergency situation, students will be ordered to evacuate.

The government has drawn up plans for the worst-case scenario but didn’t make them public due to the possible controversy they may cause.

“I hope the worst-case scenario won’t become a reality,” Education Minister Kim Sang-gon in a TV interview on Monday.

This year, 593,527 people will take the test. There are 6,000 test-takers in quake-hit Pohang.