Overview
- The Education Ministry confirmed 554,174 applicants this year, up 6 percent from 2024 and the highest total since 2018.
- Exams will run from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at 1,310 test centers nationwide, with seniors making up 67.1 percent of test takers and graduates 28.9 percent.
- Public transport will be expanded on test day, and overhead flights will be halted during the English listening section to limit disruptions.
- The day functions as a national pause, with businesses opening later and stock trading delayed during key portions of the exam.
- Commentary highlights decades of frequent CSAT revisions that have spurred new gaming and private tutoring, including a 2022 subject-choice change that shifted many science-track students to social studies.