Yonsei Piano Department Preliminary Exam Pass Notification Error... Correction of Final Exam Candidate List

Notification of Failure to 20 Successful Candidates
"Error in Mapping Temporary Number to Exam Number"
Additional Main Examination Held on the 30th Due to Notification Error

On the 20th, as concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) grow around the university area in Sinchon, a notice prohibiting entry to outsiders was installed in front of Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] During the practical evaluation process for the Piano Department at Yonsei University’s 2021 regular admission, a computer error caused the first-round preliminary passers to be switched. Some successful candidates were omitted from the list, while unsuccessful candidates were included in the list of passers.

According to university sources on the 29th, Yonsei University conducted the preliminary round for 101 applicants to the Piano Department on the 25th and 26th, and announced the results to 41 successful candidates on the 27th. On the night of the 28th, when the final evaluation was held, the school recognized the computer error. Yonsei University individually called 20 students who had been notified of failing the preliminary round to inform them that there had been a mistake in the acceptance notification and asked them to come for the final evaluation on the 30th.

Yonsei University explained, "To ensure fairness in admissions, a temporary number rather than the actual exam number was assigned to examinees during the preliminary round, and after the evaluation, a mapping process between the temporary number and the exam number was conducted. During this process, a computer error occurred, resulting in 20 preliminary round passers being mistakenly notified of failure."

The admission process for the Piano Department at Yonsei University selects candidates for the final practical exam by taking 200% of the recruitment quota of 20 based on the total score of the preliminary practical exam. Among the students who take the final exam, the final successful candidates are selected based on the total score combining the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) score and the practical exam score. In the preliminary round, which selects a total of 40 candidates, half of the candidates were mistakenly accepted due to the computer error.

Examinees and parents are bewildered. They find it hard to believe that half of the preliminary round passers were incorrectly selected. Although the university explained it was a computer error, this situation inevitably raises controversy over the fairness of the evaluation, including suspicions of pre-determined acceptance.

Yonsei University apologized via text messages and emails to the 20 students who should have been classified as unsuccessful and excluded them from the final evaluation. The students who were mistakenly notified of failure in the first preliminary round are scheduled to take the final exam on the 30th. Yonsei University plans to announce the final 20 successful candidates on the 7th of next month.

Yonsei University stated, "We confirmed through a thorough investigation that the evaluation results for each individual examinee were accurately and fairly reflected," and added, "We are taking all necessary measures and preparing prevention plans to ensure that no examinee suffers damage due to the error that occurred during this announcement process."

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