"Let's Get Vaccinated" Selfish Adults... September Mock Exam Repeaters Reach a 10-Year High

Estimated 30,000 False Applications Due to Vaccine Influence in Entrance Exam Industry
Unusual 60,000 Decrease in Graduates This Year, 30,000 Increase in Repeat Test Takers
Absentee Rate May Rise to High 20% Range

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] Despite not being test-takers, a surge of people trying to get vaccinated has led to the number of repeat test-takers, including graduates and repeaters, applying for the September CSAT mock exam reaching the highest level in 10 years.

According to the Ministry of Education on the 13th, the number of graduates who applied for the September mock exam increased by 31,132 from last year to 109,192. This is the highest number of graduate test-takers since 2012, when 97,609 took the exam. The admissions industry estimates that the increase of about 30,000 is due to the vaccine effect. Although the number of graduates decreased by more than 60,000 compared to the previous year in February this year, the increase in the proportion of repeat test-takers taking the September mock exam is unusual. This is because the Ministry of Education decided to grant Pfizer vaccine priority vaccination benefits to all college entrance exam applicants for the September mock exam regardless of age, attracting opportunistic adults seeking 'vaccine vaccination rights.'

Looking at the trend of repeat test-takers over the past three years, the number for the September mock exam two years ago was 90,007, and last year's September mock exam was 78,060, a decrease of more than 10,000. The number of graduates and other repeat test-takers who took the June mock exam this year was 57,188, but the number of applicants for the September mock exam exceeded 100,000, nearly doubling.

Last year, due to COVID-19, with the introduction of remote classes at universities and an increase in students retaking the exam after a gap year, the number of repeat test-takers taking the September mock exam was 11,303 more than those taking the June mock exam. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy Haneul Education, explained, "Considering this year's June mock exam by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, it is normal for the number of repeat test-takers to increase by about 10,000 compared to June."

Due to the increase in false applicants, the absentee rate for the September mock exam is expected to soar to the high 20% range. Last year, it was 20%. CEO Lim said, "Those who registered for the September mock exam for the purpose of vaccination should not actually take the exam. If they submit blank answer sheets, actual test-takers may be overestimated in rankings and percentiles."

The Ministry of Education stated that even in Seoul, where there was a shortage of test centers, applications were accepted regardless of capacity, and all applicants would be guaranteed the opportunity to take the exam. When test center registrations closed early, the Ministry proposed granting vaccination benefits to online test-takers as well. The Ministry said, "We plan to secure additional test centers by the end of July and inform test-takers who wish to take the exam at test centers."

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