Largest Number of Repeat Test Takers in 21 Years... 522,670 Applicants Registered for the Suneung Exam

Number of Applicants Increases by Over 18,000 Compared to Last Year
Graduates Up 1.3%, Impact of Medical School Quota Expansion
Admissions Industry: "Number of Repeat Test Takers Also at Record High"
Subject Restrictions Lifted Leads to 'Satam Run' Phenomenon

A total of 522,670 applicants submitted applications for the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). While the number of medical school quotas is increasing from this year’s college admissions, the number of graduates reached an all-time high since the CSAT began in 2003.

According to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on the 11th, 522,670 applicants submitted applications for the 2025 CSAT, which will be held on the 14th. This is an increase of 18,082 from last year (504,588).

Repeat Test Takers Highest in 21 Years

[Source: Ministry of Education]

Among the applicants, the number of current students increased by 14,131 (4.3%) from the previous year to 340,777. The number of graduates increased by 2,042 (1.3%) to 161,784. Graduates including those who passed the qualification exam increased by 190 (10.0%) from the previous year, with 20,109 applicants.

Excluding those who passed the qualification exam, the number of graduates applying for the CSAT is the highest in 21 years since 2004 (184,317). The education sector analyzed that the expansion of medical school quotas from this year likely led to a large influx of high-ranking repeat test takers (graduates or above). The highest number of graduates historically was in 1996 (300,482). Last year had the highest proportion of graduates among all applicants.

Additionally, the number of repeat test takers who joined CSAT preparation after the first semester final exams of university also reached an all-time high. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, explained, "Estimating the number of repeat test takers by the difference between the mock test in June and the actual CSAT applicants, it is 93,195, the highest ever. This is directly related to the expansion of medical school quotas and suggests an increase in high-ranking repeat test takers."

By gender, male students increased by 10,007 from the previous year to 268,699 (51.4%), and female students increased by 8,075 to 253,971 (48.6%).

Decrease in Science Electives, Increase in Social Studies Electives... 'Social Studies Run'

[Source=Ministry of Education]

Among the 522,670 total applicants, 518,501 (99.2%) chose the Korean language section, 493,279 (94.4%) chose the mathematics section, 513,737 (98.3%) chose the English section, 522,670 (100%) chose the Korean history section, 509,590 (97.5%) chose the inquiry section, and 93,618 (17.9%) chose the second foreign language/Chinese characters section.

Among the 518,501 Korean language section applicants, 331,616 (64.0%) chose Speech and Writing, and 186,885 (36.0%) chose Language and Media. Among the 493,279 mathematics section applicants, 233,111 (47.3%) chose Probability and Statistics, 244,408 (49.5%) chose Calculus, and 15,760 (3.2%) chose Geometry.

Among the 509,590 inquiry section applicants, 504,737 (99.0%) chose social studies and science inquiry, and 4,853 (1.0%) chose vocational inquiry.

Regarding this, Lee Mangi, director of Uway Education Evaluation Research Institute, analyzed, "As science and engineering universities, which had restricted applications for science inquiry test takers, lifted subject restrictions, a rapid shift to social studies, so-called 'Social Studies Run,' occurred. The number of applicants choosing two science inquiry subjects decreased, while those choosing social studies increased."