Government, businesses asked to delay start times; subway service to expand in Greater Seoul

Vehicle access restricted near test sites; aircraft takeoffs and landings to be adjusted during listening section

551,864 candidates registered; repeat test-takers up by 13,784

Weather forecasts available from Nov. 13; security measures tightened for exam materials

A third-year high school student studies during an evening self-study session at Sungji Girls' High School in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday, with 31 days remaining until the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test. [Yonhap]
A third-year high school student studies during an evening self-study session at Sungji Girls' High School in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday, with 31 days remaining until the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test. [Yonhap]

The government will ask public offices and businesses to push back their start times to 10 a.m. or later on Nov. 19, when this year's College Scholastic Ability Test is held, to ease traffic congestion and help students reach their exam sites on time. Subway service in the Greater Seoul area will be increased during the morning commute, vehicle access will be restricted within 200 meters of test sites, and aircraft takeoffs and landings will be rescheduled during the 25-minute English listening section. Military exercises will also be suspended during that period.

The Ministry of Education presented the support plan, titled "Measures to Ensure Stable Administration of the 2027 CSAT," at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

A total of 551,864 candidates are registered to sit this year's exam, down 2,310, or 0.4 percent, from last year. Despite the drop in candidates, the number of test sites increased by two to 1,312.

The number of repeat test-takers — students retaking the exam after graduation — rose sharply. Registered candidates currently enrolled in school fell by 16,506 from last year to 355,391, while graduates sitting the exam increased by 13,784 to 173,706. Non-enrolled candidates, including graduates and those who passed equivalency exams, total 196,473, accounting for 35.6 percent of all applicants.

The college entrance industry attributes the rise in graduate applicants to the abolition of elective subjects in Korean language, mathematics and the inquiry areas starting with the 2028 exam cycle, which is prompting more graduates to retake the test under the current, familiar format. Despite the overall decline in applicants, competition for spots at top universities and in medical and pharmaceutical programs is expected to remain fierce.

This year's exam will be held across 85 test districts nationwide, running from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The final session, which includes extended-time accommodations for candidates with severe visual impairments and other disabilities, will conclude at 9:48 p.m.

A countdown poster marking 30 days until the College Scholastic Ability Test is displayed at Gangnam Hyper Hagwon in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]
A countdown poster marking 30 days until the College Scholastic Ability Test is displayed at Gangnam Hyper Hagwon in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

To reduce traffic congestion on the morning of the exam, the government has asked public offices and businesses to delay their start times to 10 a.m. or later. Subway service in the Greater Seoul area will be increased from 6 a.m. to 8:10 a.m., the window when most candidates travel to their test sites, and emergency transport vehicles from police stations and other government agencies will be deployed along candidate routes.

Vehicles will be barred from entering within 200 meters of test sites. Candidates arriving by private car should account for the time needed to walk from the restricted zone to their site entrance.

From 1:10 p.m., aircraft and helicopter takeoffs and landings will be rescheduled for 25 minutes while the English listening section is under way. Artillery fire, tank movements and other military exercises will also be temporarily halted.

Outside the listening section, buses and trains passing near test sites will be asked to slow down and refrain from sounding their horns, and organizers of events and construction sites in the vicinity will be urged to minimize noise.

Candidates will be able to check weather forecasts for their test sites on the Korea Meteorological Administration's website starting Nov. 13. Local governments will prepare transport arrangements for candidates in remote island and rural areas and draw up snow-removal plans in case of severe weather.

The Ministry of Education will work with the Korean National Police Agency and provincial and metropolitan education offices to establish a security framework for managing exam materials. Ministry coordinators will be dispatched to every test district to oversee the handling of question papers. Detailed guidelines for candidates will be announced separately at a later date.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said all government ministries would work together to ensure candidates can perform to the best of their abilities. "Please take care of your health until the very end, and approach the exam with a calm mind so that all your hard work can bear fruit," she said.


brunch@heraldcorp.com