ROTC Written Exam to Be Abolished After 15 Years [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

by Yang Nakgyu

Published 13 Feb.2024 14:36(KST)

Updated 23 Feb.2024 10:07(KST)

To Reduce Burden on Applicants Amid Sharp Drop in Application Rates, Replacing Traditional Written Exams with University Grades

The Army Cadet Military School has decided to eliminate the written exam for the selection of Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) candidates starting this year. This is the first time in 15 years since the written exam was first implemented in 2009 that it has been abolished.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the military on the 13th, the recently announced "2024 Army ROTC 65th and 66th Class Selection Plan" by the Army Cadet Military School will replace the existing written exam with university grades. Before 2009, the selection methods were flexible, including tests similar to job aptitude tests or comprehensive evaluations of university grades. The written exam, which evaluates subjects such as Korean history, cognitive ability, job aptitude, and situational judgment, was established starting in 2009.

The military authorities abolished the written exam to reduce the burden on applicants and increase the application rate. The ROTC application rate has recently plummeted. According to the Defense Statistical Yearbook, the ROTC competition rate dropped from 4.8 to 1 in 2015 to 2.4 to 1 in 2022. It is understood to have fallen to 1.6 to 1 last year. In the case of the Army, for the first time since its founding, additional candidates were recruited last year.

Starting this year, the evaluation for ROTC selection will be out of 1000 points, consisting of 200 points for university grades, 200 points for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) or high school grades, 400 points for interview evaluation, 200 points for physical fitness certification, and physical examination and background check. Additionally, the interview evaluation will shift from face-to-face interviews to a mixed method of artificial intelligence (AI) online interviews and face-to-face interviews. The AI interview will assess nine elements including strong ethical awareness and resilience, while the face-to-face interview will examine national perspective and social skills. The personality evaluation conducted during the interview will also change from a written test to an online test.

The Ministry of National Defense explained, "Various policies are being promoted to increase the application rate for ROTC, and the written exam has been replaced with university grades to improve the convenience of applying for ROTC." It added, "By conducting AI interviews and face-to-face interviews simultaneously, we will strengthen the interview process to select outstanding candidates."

The Army ROTC was established in June 1961 at 16 comprehensive universities nationwide, modeled after the U.S. system. The Navy established ROTC in 1959, the Air Force in 1971, and the Marine Corps in 1974, with the Army ROTC accounting for 92% of the total. ROTC constitutes 70% of the Army's short-term commissioned officers and is called the backbone of the armed forces.