The South Korean government has made changes to the national college entrance exam, known as Suneung or the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), in order to reduce the pressure on students who undergo intense competition to secure seats in prestigious universities after being scouted by elite private preschools. Education Minister Lee Ju-ho announced that the exam will no longer include the so-called “killer questions,” which are highly difficult questions that sometimes cover material not taught in public schools, giving an unfair advantage to students with access to private tuition.
Minister Lee emphasized that while seeking private tuition is a personal choice, many parents and students feel compelled to do so due to the intense competition. The ministry aims to break the cycle of private education that places a burden on parents and undermines fairness in the education system.
The CSAT exam is considered a pivotal moment in students’ lives, with the “killer questions” causing significant anxiety. The ministry recently published sample questions from past exams and mock tests to illustrate the types of problems that may be eliminated in future exams. Some of these questions involved complex math concepts and lengthy passages on topics like the philosophy of consciousness, which were deemed more challenging than what is covered in public schools and could impose psychological burdens on test-takers.
To cope with the demands of the exam, most South Korean students are compelled to enroll in private cram schools known as “hagwons.” It is common for students to attend regular school classes, followed by evening hagwon sessions, and then continue studying on their own in the early morning hours. This has led to a massive and profitable hagwon industry in South Korea, with an estimated 26 trillion won (around $20 billion) spent on private education in 2022 alone, according to the Ministry of Education.
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