Intensified Concentration of Elective Subjects Among Top Students
Language and Media Test Takers Up 8.1%p from Last Year's Mock Exam
Calculus Test Takers Increased by 5.7%p Compared to Last Year
Score Gaps Between Elective Subjects Expected to Persist This Year
On the 9th, when the June mock test for the 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test was held, third-year students at Yongsan High School in Seoul were preparing for the exam. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The grading results of the June mock test for the 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) revealed that the difficulty level was as challenging as last year's CSAT. Notably, the proportion of science track students choosing Language and Media in Korean and liberal arts track students selecting Calculus in Mathematics increased.
On the 5th, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced the grading results of the June mock test and released the standard score cutoffs and frequency distribution data. A total of 393,502 students took the June mock test, of which 328,489 were current students, and 65,013 were graduates or those who passed the qualification exam.
The proportion of test-takers by Korean subject choice was 64.1% for Speech and Writing and 35.9% for Language and Media. Compared to last year's June mock test, the number of students choosing Language and Media (27.8%) increased by 8.1 percentage points, while those choosing Speech and Writing (72.2%) decreased by 8.1 percentage points.
In the Mathematics section, the proportion of test-takers by subject choice was 51.5% for Probability and Statistics, 42.8% for Calculus, and 5.7% for Geometry. Compared to last year's June mock test, the number of students choosing Calculus (37.1%) increased by 5.7 percentage points, while those choosing Geometry (7.5%) decreased by 1.8 percentage points, and Probability and Statistics (55.4%) decreased by 3.9 percentage points.
The proportion of students taking inquiry subjects was 51.5% for social studies and 48.5% for science. The highest selection rates were for Life and Ethics and Society and Culture in social studies, while in science inquiry, Biology I and Earth Science I had prominent participation rates. Economics had the lowest participation rate in social studies, and Physics II was the least chosen in science inquiry.
Increase in Science Track Students Choosing 'Language and Media' and Liberal Arts Students Choosing 'Calculus'
The June mock test also showed notable changes in subject choices among liberal arts and science track students. Among science track students taking science inquiry, those choosing Language and Media increased by 44.5%, from 56,279 last year to 81,332 this year. Among liberal arts students taking social studies inquiry, the increase in Language and Media selection was only 9.5%, from 48,773 to 53,417.
Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, explained, "The proportion of students choosing Language and Media was 27.8% in last June's mock test and rose to 30% in the actual CSAT, increasing further to 35.9% this year. There is a significant concentration of science track students choosing Language and Media. If the standard scores for Language and Media are relatively high, it could create an advantageous structure for science track students."
Among liberal arts students, those choosing Calculus in Mathematics increased by 40.5%, from 7,031 to 9,878. Science track students are also showing a trend of choosing Calculus over Geometry, which is considered less burdensome.
Lim added, "It appears that liberal arts students chose Calculus to overcome disadvantages in Mathematics. Students selecting Calculus are generally estimated to be in the upper-middle or higher ranks, and as a result, the possibility of high scores in Calculus is increasing compared to last year."
Standard Score Maximums Match Last Year's Difficult CSAT
On the 9th, the day of the June mock exam for the 2023 College Scholastic Ability Test, instructors including Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, are analyzing the Korean language section questions at the Jongro Academy Gangbuk Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
The highest standard scores in the June mock test were 149 points for Korean and 147 points for Mathematics, the same as last year's CSAT. Last year's June mock test had maximum standard scores of 146 points for both Korean and Mathematics. The percentage of students achieving the top grade in English was 5.7%, slightly lower than last year's CSAT (6.2%) and similar to last June's mock test (5.5%). This suggests that the difficulty level was similar to or even higher than the notoriously difficult CSAT.
Score differences between subject choices are expected to continue this year. Top-ranking students are concentrating on Language and Media and Calculus. Especially with the increased selection of Language and Media by science track students, score gaps between liberal arts and science tracks in Korean may also emerge.
Lim advised, "As the concentration of top students in specific subjects intensifies, score differences between subject choices will likely persist. In liberal arts, Mathematics, and in science, science inquiry subjects will be key areas determining relative differentiation. Since it is difficult to predict sudden changes in difficulty across common subjects, elective subjects, and each CSAT section, balanced study across all subjects is very important for future test-takers."
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