CSAT Highest Score Korean Drops 15 Points, Math Drops 2 Points... Cross-Application and Repeat Test Takers Expected to Excel

Increased Differentiation in Math and Inquiry Subjects... Expansion of Cross-Application Expected
Highest Standard Scores: Korean 134, Math 145
Top Grade Cutoffs: Korean 126, Math 133
Slight Increase in English Top Grades, but Decrease in Grades 2 and 3
Repeat Test Takers at 31%, Highest Since 2005 Academic Year

On the 18th, parents participating in the 'Jongno Academy, 2023 Regular Admission College Entrance Explanation Session' held at Sejong University Convention Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, are looking at the regular admission placement reference chart. Photo by Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was easier than last year's difficult exam. The highest standard scores dropped by 15 points in Korean and 2 points in Mathematics, significantly increasing the discriminative power of Mathematics. The ratio of repeat test-takers was the highest since the 2005 academic year, and with Mathematics being difficult, the phenomenon of science track students applying across tracks is expected to be more pronounced this year.

On the 8th, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced the 2023 CSAT scoring results. The highest standard scores in Korean and Mathematics both decreased compared to last year, and the cutoff scores for the top grade also lowered.

The highest standard score in Korean was 134 points, 15 points lower than last year (149 points). It was easier than last year's exam, which was the second most difficult in history, and also lower than the June mock exam (149 points) and September exam (140 points). The standard score is an indicator showing the difference between a test taker's raw score and the average score; the harder the exam, the higher the highest score.

The highest standard score in Mathematics was 145 points, 2 points lower than last year (147 points). It is similar to the June (147 points) and September (145 points) levels, but the gap with the highest Korean score widened to 11 points. Although the difference between the highest Mathematics standard score and the top grade cutoff is 12 points, the proportion of perfect scorers decreased to one-third, increasing the discriminative power among top-tier students.

For English, which was generally considered to have a similar difficulty level to last year, the top grade ratio increased slightly to 7.83% from 6.25% last year. However, the proportions for the second grade (18.67%) and third grade (21.75%) were lower than last year's 21.64% and 25.16%, respectively, suggesting increased discrimination among mid-to-upper-level students compared to last year.

The top grade cutoff scores were 126 points for Korean and 133 points for Mathematics, 5 and 4 points lower than last year, respectively. The number of top-grade scorers slightly decreased in both Korean (4.01%) and Mathematics (4.20%) compared to last year. The number of students who achieved the highest standard score in Korean (371) increased thirteenfold from last year (28), while in Mathematics (934), it decreased to one-third of last year's number (2702). The score gap between the highest Korean score and the top grade cutoff narrowed from 18 points last year to 8 points this year, indicating very low discrimination in Korean.

Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, explained, "Although the highest standard scores decreased, making the exam generally easier, the drop in the top grade cutoff means discrimination among top students was secured. Korean was easier, and Mathematics was difficult for top students due to the proper functioning of 'killer questions.'"

In the inquiry subjects, the average score gap between the highest scores in social studies and science decreased to 1 point from 5 points last year, which had caused controversy over fairness. The highest scores in social studies with high selection rates were 72 points for Life and Ethics, 67 points for Korean Geography, and in science, Chemistry I, Biology I, and Earth Science I scored 75, 72, and 73 points, respectively. Chemistry I (75 points) had the highest score in science inquiry, and Politics and Law (74 points) had the highest in social studies. The lowest highest scores were in Earth Science II (67 points) and East Asian History (65 points). Discrimination in Mathematics and inquiry subjects is expected to be higher among top-tier students than in previous years.

The ratio of repeat test-takers in this year's CSAT was 31%, the highest since the current CSAT system was introduced in 2005. The total number of test-takers was 447,669, a decrease of 469 from last year. The number of current students decreased by 10,409 to 308,284 (68.9%), while graduates and those who passed the qualification exam increased by 9,940 to 139,385 (31.1%).

This year marked the second year of the integrated humanities and science CSAT, and changes appeared in the selection rates of elective subjects. Korean and Mathematics were structured as 'common + elective subjects,' and more students chose electives with higher standard scores. The participation rate for Language and Media in Korean increased by 5.2 percentage points to 35.1%, and in Mathematics, the participation rate for Calculus increased by 7.3 percentage points to 45.4%.

CEO Lim said, "With the sharp increase in repeat test-takers, their dominance is expected this year, and cross-track applications between science and humanities are likely to occur more significantly than last year."

As the integrated CSAT enters its second year and cross-track applications emerge as a variable, test-takers need to carefully analyze university-specific converted standard scores and converted scores to devise their admission strategies.

Kim Chang-muk, a counselor at Kyungshin High School, advised, "Last year, Sungkyunkwan University, Chung-Ang University’s humanities departments, and Dongguk University adjusted converted standard scores to reduce unfairness between social and science inquiry subjects, making it less advantageous for science students switching to humanities. Although CSAT scores are finalized, university converted scores are still evolving, and since converted standard scores need to be released for confirmation, students should wait for early admission results and review various data to gauge their chances of admission."

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