Reported the wrong exam paper but labeled as 'cheating'... Petition also requests "improvement of the 4th period operation method in the CSAT"

During the Exam, 9 Gangwon Region Examinees Marked for 'Cheating' After Finding Different Test Papers
"Urgent Need to Improve 4th Session Operation Rather Than Blaming Test Takers"

On the 3rd, a student taking the CSAT in Gangwon-do realized that an exam paper for a different subject was attached while solving the inquiry section questions and immediately informed the proctor, but it was considered cheating. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] A student taking the CSAT immediately informed the proctor upon discovering that a question booklet from another subject was attached while solving the inquiry section questions, but was still considered cheating and had to write a statement of acknowledgment.

On the 3rd, A, who was taking the CSAT in Gangwon Province, was about to start solving the inquiry section questions when he noticed that a question booklet from another subject was attached under the Korean Geography booklet, one of the social inquiry subjects, and immediately informed the proctor.

Before taking the inquiry subject exam, there was an instruction to check by hand whether the question booklet consisted of only one sheet, but A, who failed to notice this in time, was ultimately considered to have committed cheating and wrote a statement of acknowledgment.

The operation of the 4th period of the CSAT involves a complex process. First, students solve the mandatory subject Korean History, then they must solve one or two selected subjects from the inquiry section. The inquiry section question booklets are divided into social studies, science, and vocational inquiry, with 8 to 10 subjects bundled together like a newspaper in one booklet. Among these, students must directly select and remove one or two question booklets they will take. Before the exam, an announcement is made instructing students to verify whether they have correctly selected the inquiry subject question booklets.

If a question booklet from another inquiry area is found during the exam, it is considered cheating. If cheating is confirmed, the score for the relevant subject is zeroed, and the entire CSAT for that year is invalidated.

In Gangwon Province, a total of nine students, including A, were caught cheating during the 4th period inquiry section by discovering question booklets from subjects they did not select during the exam.

Last year, four students in the province were also caught cheating by taking out question booklets for a second selected inquiry subject during the first selected inquiry subject time in the 4th period.

As the problem has repeated every year, during last year’s CSAT period, a post titled "Please improve the operation method of the 4th period of the CSAT so that students’ efforts are not wasted" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner argued, "Considering that the problem arises more from simple mistakes or errors by the test takers rather than intentional acts, that the long efforts of the test takers are wasted, and that the method is excessively complicated even if no problems occur, there are issues with the 4th period of the CSAT and improvements are necessary."

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation is reportedly discussing improvements to the 4th period CSAT system, including measures such as separating the answer sheets starting from the next CSAT.

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