Eyeglass checks every period at Saturday's Seoul exam for kindergarten, elementary and special education teachers

Suspicious examinees to face additional screening during breaks

Same measures to apply to secondary teacher exam Nov. 28 and next year's second-round tests

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday announced its implementation plan for the first-round teacher licensing exam for public kindergarten, elementary and special education teachers for the 2027 school year, which includes stepped-up checks for smart glasses. The image shows the inspection procedure. [Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education/AI-generated]
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Thursday announced its implementation plan for the first-round teacher licensing exam for public kindergarten, elementary and special education teachers for the 2027 school year, which includes stepped-up checks for smart glasses. The image shows the inspection procedure. [Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education/AI-generated]

Authorities are stepping up efforts to crack down on cheating using smart glasses at teacher licensing exams.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will inspect eyeglasses worn by examinees before every test period at the first-round licensing exam for kindergarten, elementary school and special education teachers. Before the first period, examinees must remove their glasses for a proctor to inspect. If suspicious behavior is observed during the exam, security personnel will conduct additional checks during the break.

The office announced the plan Thursday as part of its implementation guidelines for the first-round competitive examination for selecting candidates for public kindergarten, elementary and special education teacher appointments for the 2027 school year. The exam will be held at three venues: Gwangnam High School, Gwangnam Middle School and Yongsan High School.

Eyeglass inspections will be conducted through visual checks by proctors. Before the first period, all examinees wearing glasses must remove them for inspection. Before the second and third periods, proctors will walk through the exam rooms and check glasses while they are being worn.

Proctors will examine the thickness of frames and temples, as well as any camera holes and charging ports. They will also check for speaker and microphone openings, control buttons and any display visible inside the lenses. During the exam, proctors will watch for examinees who frequently touch or press their temple pieces.

If a suspicious examinee is identified, the exam will not be halted. The proctor will report the seat number to the exam headquarters, and the check will take place after the period ends and all answer sheets have been collected. During the break, security personnel and proctors will inspect the examinee visually and with a detector. If smart glasses are confirmed, the examinee and the evidence will be handed over to the exam headquarters.

The measures follow a series of cheating incidents involving smart glasses at recent exams. The office said it plans to apply the same inspection procedures at the first-round secondary teacher licensing exam on Nov. 28 and the second-round exams for kindergarten, elementary and secondary teachers in January.

The exam on Saturday runs from 9 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. Examinees granted a 1.2-times time extension will finish at 2:20 p.m. All examinees must bring their admission ticket and a form of identification and be seated by 8:20 a.m.

The three test subjects are educational essay writing in the first period, Curriculum A in the second and Curriculum B in the third. First-round results will be posted on the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's website at 10 a.m. on Dec. 9.


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