How to Use the June Mock Test... "Gap Between Grade 1 and Other Grades Likely to Widen"

Math Type A Excluded, Generally Rated "Easy"
Easy CSAT, Grades Lowered by One or Two Mistakes
"Prepare with Difficult CSAT in Mind"

Academic Differences Expected Based on Learning Will
"Analyze Evaluation Factors per Question to Check Learning Completion"

On the morning of the 18th, when the National Joint Academic Achievement Test organized by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation was conducted, third-year students were preparing for the exam at Sangam High School in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The June mock test for the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was generally considered easy, except for the Mathematics Type Ga section taken by science track students. This tendency to set easier questions was aimed at current students who were unable to attend in-person classes due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, it is still difficult to predict that this level of difficulty will continue through to the actual CSAT. If the CSAT difficulty decreases, a mistake on one or two questions could significantly lower a student's grade. Therefore, the September mock test is expected to be more challenging. Nonetheless, given the ongoing fairness issues between current students and graduates, it is unlikely that the actual CSAT will be set at a very difficult level.

Admissions experts advise students not to be overly swayed by these results but to carefully analyze their scores and prepare for the next exam. They emphasize that the purpose and meaning of mock tests are to diagnose one's standing, identify weaknesses, establish a study plan for the remaining period, and set the expected range of possible application types and universities.

Lee Mangi, director of the Uway Education Evaluation Research Institute, said, "Regardless of how the actual questions are set, examinees should study with the assumption of a difficult CSAT during the remaining period," but added, "If the CSAT is easy, training to improve problem-solving skills that avoid traps is most important." He also stated, "Easy CSATs require preventing mistakes, while difficult CSATs require fundamental strategies for solving high-level problems," and added, "This year, it is even more important to thoroughly study the EBS textbooks aligned with university-level learning."

Regardless of difficulty, there are predictions that the gap between students in the first grade and those in the second or third grades or below will widen.

Kim Byung-jin, director of the Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute, said, "There may be learning gaps between current students and graduates due to recent circumstances, but the gap is expected to widen more depending on the amount of study driven by learning motivation," and added, "To overcome the gap, it is more important to check the points for future study rather than focus on difficulty." He also mentioned that students should use this mock test as an opportunity to check their concentration and find ways to strengthen it. Kim said, "Since the scope of some subjects in the CSAT and the June mock test do not match, it is necessary to judge the basic principles of question setting after the September mock test," and emphasized, "Students should not be fixated on the June mock test scores but analyze the evaluation elements of each question and check their learning completeness accordingly."

Detailed explanations about the direction of the June mock test questions are posted on the website of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, which administered this exam, and are available for anyone to check.