Record High Absenteeism Rate Variable... Fewer Examinees Make It Harder to Achieve 1st and 2nd Grades

Uncertain Expected Grade Cutoffs
Frequent Failures to Meet Minimum Academic Standards Anticipated

On the 4th, the day after the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, examinees are waiting to enter the essay test site at Soongsil University in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] This year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) may see the significantly reduced number of test-takers become a variable in college admission strategies. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of test-takers in the first session of the CSAT was 426,344, with 64,648 students not taking the exam. The absentee rate was 13.17%, an increase of 1.65 percentage points compared to the previous year.

While this is a natural change due to the declining school-age population, it is understood that there were many unique cases of students giving up the CSAT due to concerns about COVID-19 infection. Moreover, students who tested positive find it difficult to participate in university-specific exams. For this reason, it is highly likely that those who did not need to meet the minimum CSAT grade or who applied unnecessarily did not take the exam.

With these overlapping factors, the absentee rate has increased, and the expected grade cut-off lines have become uncertain. A bigger variable is the possibility of under-enrollment in early admission processes that require meeting the minimum CSAT academic standards.

Typically, when the number of test-takers decreases, it becomes harder to receive top grades because the number of students per grade also decreases. However, rather than giving up university-specific exams due to excessive anxiety about grade drops, students should assess their score positions through provisional scoring and approach essay tests or interviews carefully.

University-specific exams are also beginning in earnest. On the 4th, Soongsil University will hold its essay test. Then, over the weekend on the 5th and 6th, universities such as Konkuk University, Kyung Hee University, Dongguk University, Sogang University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Hanyang University will conduct essay tests. Yonsei University will hold theirs on the 7th and 8th, while Ewha Womans University, Chung-Ang University, and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies will have exams on the weekend of the 12th and 13th.

Interviews for comprehensive student records and student record-based admissions are also starting. Korea University will conduct school recommendation admission interviews from the 4th to the 9th, and general admission (academic excellence type) interviews from the 9th to the 11th, both in a non-face-to-face (untact) format. Seoul National University will hold face-to-face interviews and oral exams for the general early admission on the 11th and 12th. Konkuk University, University of Seoul, and Yonsei University will conduct interviews on the 12th and 13th, and Kyung Hee University and Dongguk University will hold interview admissions on the 19th and 20th. Due to the COVID-19 situation, interview methods and quarantine guidelines vary by university, so it is essential to check each university’s website for any changes.

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