June Mock Exam Math 'Common Subject' Difficulty High... Elective Subjects Are Moderate

Common Subject Question 22 and Other Killer Questions Are Difficult
Elective Subjects Are Generally Fairly Easy
Humanities Students Feel Higher Difficulty, Concerns Over Humanities and Sciences Advantage

On the 3rd, the first mock evaluation of the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test, conducted under the integrated liberal arts and sciences system, took place at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where students are filling out OMR cards.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The June mock exam math section was somewhat more difficult than last year's CSAT. The difficulty of the common subjects was higher, so it is analyzed that liberal arts students felt it was more challenging.

On the 3rd, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation explained the direction of the 2022 June mock exam math section, stating, "We avoided complex calculations and instead focused on questions that require a thorough understanding of basic concepts covered in the curriculum and comprehensive thinking skills, rather than questions that can be solved by simply applying technical elements or formulas obtained through repetitive training."

The common subject scope covered the entire content of Mathematics I and Mathematics II, with 11 questions presented. In the elective subjects, Probability and Statistics included questions on combinations and probability, Calculus covered limits of sequences and differentiation, and Geometry included questions on conic sections and plane vectors, with 8 questions each.

In the common subjects, questions using mathematical concepts rather than complex calculations appeared, and geometry questions were presented at a somewhat moderate difficulty level. The June mock exam did not include the blank inference questions frequently seen in previous CSATs, and a question on the application of trigonometric functions newly added in this curriculum was presented as question 12. Question 15, which asked whether the solutions to an equation satisfying certain conditions could be found using trigonometric function graphs, was also considered a killer question. A question on inferring the shape of the graph of a polynomial function using differentiation, frequently appearing as a killer question in the CSAT, was presented as question 22. Geometry included some unfamiliar types compared to previous exams, which is analyzed to have made it somewhat difficult.

Entrance exam companies analyzed that while the 'killer questions' testing discrimination in the common subjects were difficult, the elective subjects were at an easy level.

Kim Seongcheol, chief researcher of the math section at Uway, evaluated, "The difficulty of the common subjects was somewhat harder than the 2021 CSAT type A, much harder than type B, and compared to last year's June mock exam, it was somewhat harder than type A and much harder than type B. The difficulty of the elective subjects was easy, and the difficulty levels among elective subjects were similar."

Kim Byungjin, director of the Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute, said, "Although simple comparison is impossible due to format changes, the common subjects were somewhat easy but included questions with discrimination. The elective subjects were generally easy, but there was variation in difficulty among elective subjects. The key is to reduce time spent on common subjects to secure time for solving elective subjects."

The advantage or disadvantage between liberal arts and science in the common subjects is expected to be similar to the levels seen in the March and April mock exams. In the March mock exam, the highest standard scores were 157 for Calculus and 150 for Probability and Statistics, and in the April mock exam, the highest standard scores were 147 for Calculus and 142 for Probability and Statistics.

Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy Haneul Education, explained, "The advantage or disadvantage between liberal arts and science in the common subjects is inevitable in this exam as well, and top-ranking liberal arts students may find this exam quite difficult. With repeaters joining, the proportion of current students achieving the top math grade may decrease compared to previous mock exams."