College entrance exam held without sensed tremors

Students take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) at a high school in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday morning. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

A total of 593,000 students took the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) nationwide Thursday after a one-week delay caused by a 5.4-magnitude quake that hit the southeastern city of Pohang Nov. 15.

Due to continued aftershocks _ with a 2.0-magnitude one occurring the night before _ the test was held with an emergency response system in place. Only a slight 1.7 magnitude tremor which was not felt at test sites occurred.

In Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, 5,523 students took the test with buses on standby to take them to sites in adjacent areas if a strong aftershock occurred.

Fire and police officers, rescue workers, a doctor and counselor were stationed at each of the sites.

Eleven students feeling psychologically unstable due to the quake last week took the test at a separate site, after signing up in advance.

The test sites had psychiatrists and counselors on standby.

A central disaster response team was on duty at the Pohang Office of Education.

Although the test ended without damage, the absentee rate of test-takers was the highest yet at 9.48 percent _ presumed to be due to earthquake concerns.

The CSAT has long been considered a life-determining exam, as in Korea a person’s college diploma had been a core indicator in the job market.

Due to such implications, concerns had mounted over the possibility of students being affected by seismic activity during the test.

Authorities usually make nationwide efforts each year to enable students to take the test without problems.

Public institution employees came to work an hour later than usual, to ease the morning traffic congestion for test-takers.

More subway trains, buses and taxis ran during the morning hours as students made their way to test sites.

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.

This was the first time the CSAT was postponed due to a natural disaster, since its debut in 1993.

Around 400 test writers and reviewers were released after 41 days of confinement when the test ended _ the longest period yet due to the delay.

They usually enter a housing facility in a provincial area a month ahead of the test to compile the questions. In order to prevent possible leaks of test information, access to telecommunications is blocked during the period.

Their presence is concealed, the housing facility fenced and window screens fixed. Food waste is even checked before it is disposed of, to ensure test question security.

The quake in Pohang was the second-strongest to strike the nation, injuring 90, displacing over 1,300 residents and causing damage to 13,000 housing units.

President Moon Jae-in declared the city a special disaster zone earlier this week.