Unprecedented 'Execution Stay of Correct Answer', Possibility of College Admission Schedule Delay

Notification of Grades Ahead of Early Admission Results Announcement on the 16th
Emergency Meeting Held by Ministry of Education and Korea Council for University Education to Discuss Measures
Ministry of Education Deliberates on Postponing or Proceeding with Early and Regular Admission Schedules

On the 10th, students at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are reviewing their CSAT score reports. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The Ministry of Education is grappling with various options, including postponing the college entrance schedule, following an unprecedented decision to suspend the execution of the "CSAT answer key determination order." The situation has hit a snag starting with the announcement of early admission results scheduled for the 16th, as the correct answers for Life Science II have yet to be finalized.

On the morning of the 10th, the Ministry of Education, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, and the University Education Council held an emergency meeting to discuss related countermeasures. Considering that the first hearing of the main lawsuit to cancel the answer key determination order is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Seoul Administrative Court that afternoon, a conclusion is expected with this in mind.

An official from the Ministry of Education stated, "Since various situations are interconnected and need to be viewed comprehensively, we are considering multiple possibilities such as postponing the schedule or announcing additional relief measures," but added, "We have not ruled out the suspension of execution decision, but we consider its likelihood to be low."

Disruptions to the college entrance schedule are inevitable. Early admission results are to be announced on the 16th, registration for admitted students from the 17th to the 19th, additional admissions registration from the 21st to the 27th, and regular admissions starting on the 30th. With the CSAT scores for the relevant subject test-takers not yet finalized, it is difficult to confirm whether the minimum CSAT grade requirements have been met.

There are two possible scenarios under the current circumstances. The first is to postpone the early and regular admission schedules by one to two weeks. Previously, in the 2021 academic year, the CSAT was delayed due to COVID-19, resulting in a two-week postponement of the college entrance schedule, and in the 2018 academic year, the schedule was delayed by two weeks due to the Pohang earthquake. Postponing both the early admission announcement and regular admissions would buy time until the court's first-instance ruling is issued and help reduce confusion.

The second option is for the Ministry of Education to announce the early admission results as planned and then propose additional relief measures. After announcing early admission results, if grades are upgraded following the finalization of scores, additional candidates could be admitted, and the number of regular admissions reduced accordingly.

A representative from the University Education Council also said, "Since this is an emergency situation, nothing has been finalized, but postponing the college entrance schedule should be considered."

On the 10th, a student is looking over the CSAT score report at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

On that day, the Ministry of Education issued score reports leaving only the Life Science II subject blank. Since Life Science II is mainly taken by applicants to Seoul National University, Hanyang University, and medical and pharmaceutical fields, top-tier science students were thrown into great confusion. If the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation treats all disputed question 20 items as correct, the standard score would drop by 1 to 2 points, which could change admission outcomes.

The admissions industry views treating all answers as correct as a way to reduce confusion. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, pointed out, "If the results are overturned by a court ruling after all admissions are completed, it will cause further confusion."

A college counselor at a high school in Seoul explained, "Since it is not confirmed whether the minimum criteria for top-tier students will be applied, the school environment is very confused. Top-tier science students are closely ranked by scores, so if the expected scores differ, it affects their application strategies, and depending on the career decisions of medical field applicants, students with lower scores will inevitably be affected as well."

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