Differences in CSAT Scope and Test Implementation
Changing Elective Subjects Based on Mock Exam Scores Is Prohibited
The nationwide joint academic achievement test for March of the 2024 academic year (hereinafter referred to as the March academic achievement test) will be held on the 23rd.
Hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the March academic achievement test is the first time students will experience the ‘common + elective subjects’ format for Korean and Mathematics. It is also the first mock exam of the new school year, making it an important test for checking learning progress and rehearsing for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT).
On the 24th, the 2022 academic year March National Joint Academic Achievement Test was conducted for 950,000 high school students from grades 1 to 3 nationwide. Third-year students at Jamsin High School in Songpa-gu, Seoul, are taking the exam. This academic achievement test is being held simultaneously nationwide for the first time in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Joint Press Corps
The March academic achievement test differs from the CSAT in terms of scope and whether the exam is conducted. Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute announced preparation strategies accordingly on the 2nd.
Korean covers the entire curriculum from grades 1 to 2, while Mathematics tests the full range of common subjects Math I and II. However, for elective subjects, Probability and Statistics covers only ‘I-1. Permutations and Combinations,’ Calculus covers ‘I-1. Limits of Sequences,’ and Geometry covers up to ‘I-1. Conic Sections.’ Therefore, the March academic achievement test should be used as an opportunity to check the mastery of common subjects. Since common subjects carry a higher weight in the actual CSAT, it is also necessary to prioritize securing high scores in common subjects.
For English, students should clearly set their target grade and take the exam accordingly. At this time, they should aim to answer 1 to 3 more questions correctly than the raw score required for their target grade. This is because various factors in the actual CSAT may cause scores to be lower than usual.
Korean History and the inquiry subjects cover the entire curriculum, but Science Inquiry II, Second Foreign Language/Chinese Characters, and Vocational Inquiry are not conducted. Especially in the inquiry subjects, where the amount of study varies greatly by subject and student, it is important to avoid mistakes on questions related to the units and concepts studied. It is recommended to review and confirm the studied parts once again before taking the exam.
High school seniors who have not yet experienced the CSAT should treat the monthly mock exams as a ‘CSAT rehearsal.’ They should create a detailed action plan by time and practice it to find the method that is most comfortable and yields the best results. It is advisable to establish and routinize plans such as which to solve first between elective and common subjects in Korean, how to skip difficult problems in Mathematics based on certain criteria, what to do during lunch and break times, and how to manage time if there is any left after solving Korean History.
Since university admissions are a process of proving one’s excellence compared to competitors, it is important to understand one’s current position, i.e., CSAT competitiveness, and check learning proficiency. Generally, mock exams are conducted nationwide, so they provide a more objective assessment of one’s abilities than school grades.
However, the March academic achievement test is not administered by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, the CSAT’s official testing body, and graduates do not participate. Also, since the CSAT and the March test differ in scope and other aspects, it is difficult to use the March test results for admissions purposes. Therefore, rather than reacting emotionally to the scores themselves, students should use the results to assess their CSAT competitiveness and learning achievement level and to plan their future study direction.
On the 24th, when the 2022 academic year March National Joint Academic Achievement Test was conducted for 950,000 high school students from grades 1 to 3 nationwide, third-year students at Yongsan High School in Seoul were preparing for the exam. This academic achievement test is being held simultaneously nationwide on the same day for the first time in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Joint Press Corps
The March academic achievement test is the first exam conducted under the ‘common + elective subjects’ system for Korean and Mathematics, allowing students to roughly understand the difficulty and advantages or disadvantages of their chosen subjects. However, it is risky to hastily change elective subjects based solely on this test result.
Therefore, rather than changing elective subjects based on test scores, students should improve the mastery of the subjects they have studied so far. Many students still have lower mastery in inquiry subjects compared to major subjects, and some subjects are not tested at all. Hence, instead of making abrupt subject changes, students should check their learning achievement and adjust their study direction accordingly.
The top priority when deciding elective subjects is personal learning style and achievement. Students should choose subjects they can perform best in and have high academic achievement. Additionally, since some university departments specify CSAT elective subjects, it is essential to check whether the target university’s departments have any such requirements.
Kim Byung-jin, head of the Etoos Education Evaluation Research Institute, explained, “The March academic achievement test should be taken with a clear purpose, with a test operation plan established and practiced as part of CSAT preparation. Since it is somewhat early to interpret it in terms of admissions, it is advisable to use it as a tool for checking learning progress.”
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