CSAT, General Mask Wearing Allowed During Exam... Opaque Partition Installed Only in Front of Desk

No Symptoms Such as Fever
Valve-Type and Mesh Masks Excluded

Entry from 6:30 AM on Test Day
No Group Lunch Allowed

Desk Partitions Installed as Planned
"Measures to Minimize Droplet Infection"

High school seniors preparing for the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test are getting ready for the September mock exam on the 16th at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. This mock exam is the last practice test conducted by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, the organization responsible for the CSAT, before the actual exam. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Students taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on December 3rd can wear regular masks excluding valve-type and mesh masks during the exam. Due to the impact of COVID-19, students showing symptoms such as fever on the exam day must take the test in a separate exam room, and those in separate exam sites for quarantined individuals must wear KF80 or higher-grade medical masks.

The Ministry of Education and the joint CSAT management team of 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education held their first meeting on the 16th and finalized the "CSAT Exam Site Quarantine Guidelines for COVID-19 Prevention" containing these details.

This guideline was drafted by a dedicated team composed of exam management agencies and experts from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) to establish quarantine measures suitable for the characteristics of the CSAT. It was prepared after review by the KDCA and metropolitan and provincial offices of education. The guidelines consist of pre-exam, exam day, and post-exam measures, and management agencies such as the offices of education will begin preparations accordingly.

Entry to the exam site is allowed from 6:30 a.m. on the exam day. After hand sanitization, temperature checks and symptom screening will be conducted. Asymptomatic students will enter the general exam rooms, while symptomatic students will be seated in separate exam rooms.

Students must wear masks throughout the exam. In general exam rooms, masks excluding valve-type or mesh masks are allowed. The Ministry of Education recommends medical masks approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (such as KF94, KF80, KF AD).

Partition dimensions to be attached in front of the desk on the day of the CSAT (Provided by the Ministry of Education)

In separate exam rooms and separate exam sites for quarantined individuals, KF80 or higher-grade medical masks must be worn. Lunch must be eaten at the student's own seat in the exam room using a personal packed meal and drinking water; group meals are not allowed.

After the exam ends, students will exit according to instructions. If symptoms such as fever occur within 14 days, students should contact the KDCA or local health centers.

On the preliminary gathering day, December 2nd, students are prohibited from entering the building, and necessary guidance will be provided outdoors, preferably in the playground. Quarantined or confirmed students’ immediate family members or those who can prove their relationship may collect the exam admission ticket on their behalf.

The controversial installation of desk partitions will proceed as planned. This is based on the judgment that mask-wearing alone cannot completely prevent COVID-19 transmission.

On the 3rd, the first day of application submission for the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, a test taker is submitting an application at the Southern Education Support Office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The application submission for the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test will be open from the 3rd to the 18th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (excluding Saturdays and public holidays), and the test will be held on December 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Partitions will be installed only at the front of the desks considering the students’ desk usage. Exam papers (A3 size) can pass under the partitions, and students can spread the exam papers sideways or fold them vertically for use. To minimize light reflection, the partitions will be made of opaque material. The Ministry of Education adjusted the specifications such as transparency and height of the partitions and conducted on-site demonstrations and verification at schools in advance.

Park Baek-beom, Vice Minister of Education, said, “The joint CSAT management team of the Ministry of Education and 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education will pool the education sector’s capabilities to prepare so that students can safely take the exam, starting with establishing quarantine guidelines for the CSAT exam sites.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.