Students register for the College Scholastic Ability Test at the Gangseo-Yangcheon District Office of Education in Seoul. [Joint Press Corps]
Students register for the College Scholastic Ability Test at the Gangseo-Yangcheon District Office of Education in Seoul. [Joint Press Corps]

Registration for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT, opens Aug. 24. While applicants can enter their information online in advance, they must visit a registration site in person to verify their identity before their application is complete.

The Ministry of Education announced Tuesday that it will accept CSAT applications from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4 at education support offices and high schools across 85 testing districts nationwide. Registration will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding Saturdays and Sundays, for a total of 10 business days.

An online pre-entry system will be available from 9 a.m. on Aug. 20 through 6 p.m. on Sept. 3. Through the system, applicants can enter their test information and pay the registration fee by credit card, virtual account or mobile payment.

However, completing the online entry alone does not finalize registration. Even applicants who finish the online pre-entry must visit a registration site in person to receive a confirmation slip, a step required to prevent proxy test-taking.

Applicants who do not use the online system may also register in person directly at the site. Cash payment of the registration fee is not accepted.

Current high school students must register at their own school, while graduates are in principle required to register at their alma mater. Those who passed the General Educational Development exam and similar qualifications may register at the education support office in the testing district covering their registered address. In exceptional cases — such as long-term hospitalization or military service — proxy registration by a family member is permitted.

The registration fee varies by the number of subject areas selected: 37,000 won ($26) for four or fewer subjects, 42,000 won for five subjects, and 47,000 won for six subjects. Recipients of basic livelihood benefits, those in the legally defined near-poverty bracket, and single-parent family support recipients may apply for a fee waiver through the relevant procedures.

Partial refunds are available for applicants who are unable to sit the exam due to natural disasters, illness, early admission acceptance or military enlistment. Refund applications will be accepted from Nov. 23 through Nov. 27.

The ministry urged applicants to carefully review their selected subject areas and all entered information during registration, as no additions or corrections will be accepted after the in-person registration period closes on Sept. 4.


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