Over 25s Concentrate on September Mock Exam... Ministry of Education "Providing All Examinees with Opportunity to Participate"

Half of Jongno Academy Mock Test Applicants Are Over 25
Concerns Over False Applications for Pfizer Priority Vaccination Become Reality
Ministry of Education to Secure Test Sites Outside Academies Through Education Offices to Provide Testing Opportunities
Ministry Estimates 80,000 Applicants on First Day... Half of Last Year's First Day (150,000)

On the morning of the 3rd, high school seniors preparing for the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) are getting ready for the June mock exam at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. A total of 482,899 students registered for the first mock exam of the 2022 CSAT, which has been reorganized into an integrated liberal arts and science format. Among them, 415,794 (86.1%) are current students, and 67,105 (13.9%) are graduates and others.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Among the test takers of the September CSAT mock exam, the number of applicants aged 25 and older has significantly increased. Concerns that there would be many false applications aimed at priority COVID-19 vaccination have become a reality. In response, the Ministry of Education announced that all examinees will be given the opportunity to take the exam.

According to Jongno Academy Haneul Education on the 29th, the application for the September mock exam, which started on the 28th, was filled within one minute. Although only 42 general public applicants were allowed, 312 people applied immediately after the registration opened.

Among them, half, 155 people (49.7%), were aged 25 or older. This is more than double the 22.6% proportion of applicants aged 25 and older in the September 2019 mock exam. The influx of applicants aged 25 and older for the mock exam is also related to priority vaccination.

The Ministry of Education is understood to have increased the number of applicants aged 25 and older because it set the vaccination target for repeat test takers based on the September mock exam applicants. The Ministry explained that people in their 30s and 40s taking the September mock exam can also receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Concerns that false applications aimed at priority vaccination would increase even before the September mock exam registration became a reality. The Ministry of Education has only taken a general stance that there will be no false applications for the September mock exam, as vaccination for those under 40 will begin from the end of August.

On this day, the Ministry of Education announced that even if academy registrations are closed, support will be provided to allow examinees to take the exam using education office test centers and other venues.

According to the Ministry of Education and others, the number of mock exam applicants registered with the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation is about 80,000 or less, which is about half the number of applicants on the first day last year (150,000).

The Ministry of Education said, "Examinees can take the mock exam at school test centers, academy test centers, and education office test centers," and added, "We will continuously monitor the registration status and operate test centers appropriately to provide the opportunity to take the September mock exam to all examinees who wish to do so."

The Ministry of Education released explanatory materials and urged applicants to apply for vaccination in order according to the Disease Control Agency’s vaccination plan, as vaccine supply is proceeding smoothly.

The Ministry stated, "Vaccination for September mock exam applicants is being promoted to provide examinees with a stable opportunity for vaccination, but there is not much difference from the nationwide vaccination schedule in August."

The Ministry explained, "If vaccination is applied for under the qualification of a college entrance exam candidate, the vaccination opportunity will not be re-granted in the general public age-based vaccination order, so those who are not college entrance exam candidates do not need to apply for the September mock exam."

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