Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Accelerates Measures for Exam Taker Quarantine

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education is stepping up efforts to establish COVID-19 prevention measures for test-takers to ensure a safe and smooth administration of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which is 100 days away on the 10th.

According to the Gwangju Office of Education on the 9th, the CSAT will be held on November 18.

Application submission will take place from the 19th of this month to the 3rd of next month. Current students and graduates within Gwangju must apply at their enrolled (or alma mater) schools.

Applicants from other cities and provinces, those who passed the qualification exam, and those eligible for testing accommodations must apply at the city education office’s application center.

When submitting applications, applicants must prepare ▲the application form (available at the application center) ▲two passport-sized photos (3.5 cm wide × 4.5 cm high) for attachment to the application ▲receipt of payment for the application fee (paid in cash at submission; 37,000 KRW for up to 4 subjects / 42,000 KRW for 5 subjects / 47,000 KRW for 6 subjects) ▲and an ID card, and must submit the application in person.

Applicants from other cities and provinces, those who passed the qualification exam, and those eligible for testing accommodations need additional documents such as ▲graduation certificate ▲qualification exam pass certificate ▲disability welfare card, so they must carefully check the required documents for each category before applying.

Proxy applications are limited to high school graduates who are disabled, incarcerated, serving in the military, hospitalized on the application day, or residing overseas. COVID-19 self-quarantined or confirmed cases can have a direct family member submit the application on their behalf if they submit a quarantine notice, as was done last year, allowing them to take the CSAT. Application-related information can be found on the Gwangju Office of Education website under announcements.

A notable point for the 2022 CSAT is that high school seniors, college entrance examinees, supervisors, and CSAT staff will take the test after receiving vaccinations in advance.

Of course, unvaccinated test-takers can also take the CSAT. As with last year, test-takers will be separated by type and assigned to different test locations: ▲general test-takers to general test rooms within general test sites ▲symptomatic individuals to separate test rooms within general test sites ▲self-quarantined individuals to separate test sites ▲confirmed cases to hospital test sites or residential treatment centers.

Self-quarantined and confirmed cases will be promptly identified and intensively managed in advance. Additionally, special disinfection of test sites will be conducted before and after the test day, and remote classes will be held. Up to 24 test-takers will be assigned per test room.

Test-takers must wear masks during the exam and are prohibited from talking.

Unlike last year when front desk partitions were installed, considering the vaccination status, partitions will not be installed during the exam, but three-sided paper partitions will be set up only during lunch breaks.

The Ministry of Education, Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, and 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education will finalize detailed quarantine guidelines and announce them in early next month.

Considering the recent COVID-19 situation, thorough quarantine and the creation of a safe testing environment for the 2022 CSAT require concentrated support from local governments and related organizations.

Also, due to the expansion of test sites and rooms, an increase in supervisors and CSAT staff is expected, so active cooperation from middle and high school faculty is requested.

Meanwhile, the Gwangju Office of Education informed all high schools and special schools of the detailed implementation plan for the 2022 CSAT on the 29th of last month.

Jang Hwikuk, Superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “As the COVID-19 situation nationwide is severe recently, test-takers should avoid crowded, close-contact, and enclosed spaces, and pay more attention to personal quarantine management including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. We sincerely support our test-takers in achieving their goals, and the Office of Education will do its best to ensure the CSAT is conducted safely and stably.”

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