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South Korea Administers 2026 CSAT to 554,174 Applicants, a Seven-Year High

Test designers said they set difficulty to curb advantages linked to elective subject choices.

Overview

  • The exam ran from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at 1,310 sites nationwide under extensive logistics, including extra transit service and shifted stock market hours.
  • All takeoffs and landings were halted from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. during the English listening section to ensure a quiet testing environment.
  • Education officials reported 554,174 registrants, up 6 percent year over year, citing the large 2007 ‘Golden Pig’ birth cohort as the main driver.
  • Question-setting chief Kim Chang-won said the paper followed core curriculum content, avoided cram-friendly rote traps, and calibrated elective subjects to minimize selection-based advantages.
  • Applicants visited test centers the previous day to receive identification slips, as the exam again drew nationwide attention with public well-wishes from celebrities.