All High Schools to Hold Remote Classes One Week Before CSAT... Confirmed Students to Be Hospitalized Starting from the 12th

Confirmed cases as of the 12th will take exams at hospitals or treatment centers

Self-quarantined individuals will take exams at designated locations
Ministry of Education secures over 110 test sites

Separate classrooms for those with fever symptoms on exam day
Exam sites switch to remote classes from the 26th

Three days before the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, examinees are preparing for the exam at the Jongno Academy Gangbuk Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] As of the 12th of this month, examinees confirmed with COVID-19 must take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on December 3rd at hospitals or treatment centers. Those under self-quarantine will take the exam at separate test sites, and examinees showing symptoms such as fever on the day of the exam will be moved to a separate testing room prepared within the test site.

The Ministry of Education reported and announced the "2021 CSAT Smooth Implementation Measures" at the Cabinet meeting held on the morning of the 3rd. First, students confirmed positive and undergoing treatment as of the 12th will be admitted to designated hospitals or residential treatment centers designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, prepare for the exam there, and take the test at those facilities. Regardless of when they were confirmed positive, if they recover by the day before the CSAT, they can take the exam at regular test sites.

Examinees under self-quarantine must go to designated locations on the exam day. Personal vehicles are the principle mode of transportation, but ambulances and other support can be provided. The Ministry of Education has secured about 110 test sites and 780 classrooms for quarantined examinees. If symptoms such as fever appear on the exam day, the examinee must take the CSAT in a separate testing room (about five per school) prepared within the assigned test site. COVID-19 diagnostic tests will be supported for supervisors overseeing quarantined and confirmed examinees.

To prevent mass infections, remote classes will be implemented at all high schools and test site schools starting from the 26th, one week before the CSAT. Seol Se-hoon, Director of University Academic Policy, stated, "If infections surge locally, we plan to discuss additional quarantine measures through a joint situation room," adding, "There are concerns about securing supervisory personnel, but most of this is in the final stages at the level of each metropolitan and provincial office of education."

Three days before the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, examinees are preparing for the exam at the Jongno Academy Gangbuk Main Branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has requested cooperation to adjust the working hours of local government offices and companies from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the CSAT day, and additional trains and subways will be scheduled from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. City buses and village buses will shorten intervals between runs, and the personal taxi restriction will be lifted.

From 200 meters ahead of the test sites on exam day, vehicle access except for public transportation will be restricted, and examinees using personal vehicles must get off and proceed on foot. From 1:10 p.m. to 1:35 p.m., during the English listening test, aircraft takeoffs and landings and artillery firing military exercises will be prohibited.

Examinees can access weather information for each test site nationwide on the Korea Meteorological Administration website starting from the 27th. To prepare for earthquakes, regions such as Pohang will undergo on-site safety inspections conducted jointly by the Ministry of Education, metropolitan and provincial offices of education, and private experts earlier this month.

This year’s CSAT, postponed by about a month due to the COVID-19 situation, will be held on Thursday, December 3rd, from 8:40 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. at 1,352 test sites across 86 test districts nationwide. The number of examinees is 493,433, a decrease of 55,301 compared to the previous year.