4,439 of 4,883 examinees pass, for a 90.9% pass rate

Oldest passer earns high school equivalency at 82

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that 4,883 people sat for this year's second round of the equivalency exam, the largest turnout since 2021. Pictured is the gymnasium of Seoul Industrial High School in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, where applications for the exam were accepted. [Yonhap]
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that 4,883 people sat for this year's second round of the equivalency exam, the largest turnout since 2021. Pictured is the gymnasium of Seoul Industrial High School in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, where applications for the exam were accepted. [Yonhap]

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that 4,883 people sat for this year's second round of the equivalency exam, the largest turnout since 2021. Of those, 4,439 passed, for an overall pass rate of 90.9 percent.

The office will announce results of the 2026 Second Round Elementary, Middle and High School Graduation Equivalency Examination on its website Friday at 10 a.m.

A total of 5,608 people registered for the exam, of whom 4,883 showed up to take it. By level, 351 sat for the elementary school equivalency test, with 334 passing — a rate of 95.2 percent. For the middle school level, 850 of 922 examinees passed (92.2 percent), while 3,255 of 3,610 passed the high school level (90.2 percent).

The overall pass rate rose 0.4 percentage points from the 90.5 percent recorded in last year's second round. The elementary pass rate climbed 1.1 percentage points year on year and the middle school rate rose 1.7 percentage points, while the high school rate held steady at 90.2 percent.

At a designated testing site for people with disabilities, 31 of 34 examinees passed, a rate of 91.2 percent. The office provided accommodations including read-aloud and scribing assistance. In addition, two people with severe disabilities who have difficulty moving were able to take the exam at home or at a welfare center through a mobile exam service.

At a separate testing site inside Nambu Prison, 40 of 43 inmates passed. The oldest passers were a man in his 80s at the elementary level, a 79-year-old man at the middle school level and an 82-year-old woman at the high school level.

Certificates will be distributed at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Friday and Monday. Pass certificates and transcripts will be available after results are announced through the Government24 portal or at school and education office service counters.


brunch@heraldcorp.com