4th Period Inquiry Area Exam
Finished 2 Minutes Early, Then Test Papers Redistributed
Concerns Raised Over Unfair Redistribution and Collection Process
On the 3rd, the day of the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), examinees are making final checks at the test site. Photo by Joint Press Corps
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] During the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), an incident occurred at one test site where the bell signaling the end of the exam rang earlier than scheduled, sparking controversy over disadvantages faced by some students. Upon realizing the bell had rung earlier than planned, the proctors redistributed the exam papers, but it is reported that some students were unable to finish their answers.
According to 'Yonhap News' on the 4th, during the first elective subject exam of the 4th period's inquiry section at Deokwon Girls' High School in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, on the previous day (3rd), the bell signaling the end of the exam rang 2 to 3 minutes earlier than scheduled.
Some students protested that the bell rang before the official end time, but the proctors collected the exam papers. Later, the proctors realized there was an error with the end bell and redistributed the exam papers to the students, allowing them an additional 2 minutes to work on the questions.
However, there were criticisms that redistributing and recollecting the exam papers again was unfair.
The 4th period inquiry section, which includes three subjects such as Korean History Inquiry 1 and 2, is conducted by distributing the exam papers for each subject before the test starts and collecting each subject’s exam papers immediately after its completion.
On the afternoon of the 3rd, the day of the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test, examinees who finished the exam are leaving the test site. / Photo by Yonhap News
As a result, time is consumed during the distribution of exam papers, and since the papers were handed out starting from the front, students seated at the back reportedly lost about a minute.
There were also criticisms that each exam room proctor handled the situation differently. Some students complained that the proctors did not clearly specify how many extra minutes were given, causing them to write their answers anxiously.
As this news spread, netizens’ reactions on online communities were divided. Some criticized the school and exam headquarters for inadequate handling during such an important CSAT exam, while others argued that since sufficient time was given after the incident, there was no problem.
One netizen said, "They must have rehearsed the day before the CSAT, so ringing the bell early due to confusion about the end time means they were not well prepared," adding, "In short, they did not prepare properly."
Another netizen said, "Two minutes is definitely not a short time in the inquiry section exam. It must have caused significant mental stress for the students," and added, "Because of that alone, there is a sufficient possibility that they could not perform to their full ability."
On the other hand, there were rebuttals that the proctors’ response was adequate. One netizen said, "They allowed students to use the lost time due to the early end," and added, "It was an unfortunate accident, but I think the response was sufficient."
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