Confirmed cases take the CSAT at hospitals, isolated individuals at separate test centers, and symptomatic persons in separate test rooms.

Confirmed cases admitted to designated hospitals 2 weeks prior to CSAT participation
PCR tests available at health centers until 10 PM the day before CSAT
This year's CSAT features three-sided paper partitions only during lunch break

On the 1st, third-year high school students at Sangam High School in Mapo-gu, Seoul, are preparing for the September mock test of the 2022 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

On the day of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) held on November 18, COVID-19 positive individuals will take the exam in hospitals, those in self-quarantine will take it at separate test sites, and symptomatic individuals will take it in separate exam rooms.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Education announced the "2022 CSAT Implementation Facilitation Measures" at the Cabinet meeting. The Ministry designated 1,255 test sites for general examinees and prepared 2,895 separate exam rooms for symptomatic individuals with fever or other symptoms. There are 112 separate test sites (676 rooms) for examinees in self-quarantine and 33 hospitals and residential treatment centers designated for COVID-19 positive examinees. Positive cases will be admitted to designated hospitals or treatment centers two weeks before the CSAT and will move to separate test sites to take the exam while in isolation.

Mask-wearing is mandatory for all examinees and teachers regardless of vaccination status. Unlike last year, when full acrylic partitions were placed on desks throughout the exam, this year, three-sided paper partitions will be installed only during lunchtime. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases starting two weeks before the CSAT, special quarantine inspections will be conducted on about 320 private academies, and facilities such as study cafes, game providers, karaoke rooms, and movie theaters will also be subject to quarantine management.

From one week before the CSAT, all high schools will switch to remote classes. Schools that are not high schools but serve as test sites will begin remote classes from November 15.

Examinees with suspected COVID-19 symptoms will be required to undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, and on the day before the CSAT, PCR testing hours at public health centers will be extended until 10 p.m.

On the exam day, the start time for government offices and companies in city and county areas will be delayed from 9 a.m. to after 10 a.m. Nearby military units will be requested to limit movement during examinees’ commuting hours, and the English listening test period (1:10 p.m. to 1:35 p.m.) will be designated as a control time, during which aircraft takeoffs and landings and military training such as artillery firing will be prohibited.

Rush hour operation times for subways and trains will be extended from 2 hours (7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) to 4 hours (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.) with additional trains added. Vehicle access other than public transportation will be restricted starting 200 meters before the test sites, so examinees must get off at least 200 meters away and walk to the site. A security system will also be established to ensure the safe transport and storage of CSAT test booklets.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "We will do our best to ensure examinees can safely take the CSAT through proactive vaccination, creating exam environments tailored to examinee types, and managing examinee situations." She added, "To safely conduct the CSAT and subsequent university admissions, it is most important that examinees and their families strictly follow quarantine guidelines."