CSAT Mock Test to Be Held on June 1... Science Subjects Surpass Social Studies, Increase in Repeat Test Takers

Number of Applicants Hits Record Low at Around 460,000... Graduates Slightly Increase

The number of test-takers for the mock College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scheduled for the 1st of next month has dropped to an all-time low of around 460,000, while the number of graduates taking the test has slightly increased, leading to a forecast that the proportion of repeat test-takers will reach a record high.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced on the 25th that the 2024 academic year CSAT mock test will be conducted simultaneously from 8:40 a.m. on the 1st of next month at 2,107 high schools nationwide (including education offices) and 463 designated academies.

Highest proportion of graduates ever... Science exploration subjects surpass social studies for the first time

The number of applicants for the mock test is 463,675, which is 13,473 fewer than the mock test held in June last year. Among the applicants, current students number 375,375 (81.0%), a decrease of 25,098, while graduates and other test-takers number 88,300 (19.0%), an increase of 11,625.

While the total number of applicants has fallen to a historic low, the proportion of graduates among the applicants has reached the highest level since the official announcement of mock test registration statistics began in the 2011 academic year. This figure is 2.9 percentage points higher than last year's 16.1%.

The number of current student applicants has fallen below 300,000 for the first time.

Considering that repeat test-takers join after the June mock test, the proportion of graduates among this year's CSAT test-takers is likely to be even higher than a year ago. The proportion of graduates in last year's CSAT was 31.1%, the highest in 26 years.

Looking at applicants for social and science exploration subjects, science exploration applicants number 244,993, accounting for 50.1% of social and science exploration applicants. This surpasses social studies applicants (243,767; 49.9%), marking the first time since the 2011 academic year statistics were released that science exploration has overtaken social studies.

Representative Lim said, "This means the trend toward a focus on science has accelerated significantly," adding, "It is presumed that factors such as discussions on expanding medical school quotas and the establishment of advanced and semiconductor departments, which increase the number of science-related admissions, have also played a complex role."

Preview of the CSAT... Same schedule and format

The test schedule is the same as the CSAT: ▲1st period Korean language section (08:40?10:00) ▲2nd period Mathematics section (10:30?12:10) ▲3rd period English section (13:10?14:20) ▲4th period Korean history and social, science, and vocational exploration sections (14:50?16:37) ▲5th period Second foreign language and Chinese characters section (17:05?17:45).

The Korean language and mathematics sections are conducted in a 'common + elective subject' structure. All test-takers who choose the section take the common subject, and for the elective subjects, test-takers take only one subject they select within the section.

In the social and science exploration sections, test-takers can choose up to two subjects from 17 available subjects. In the vocational exploration section, test-takers can choose up to two subjects, including the common subject "Successful Vocational Life" among six subjects.

Test-takers may wear masks voluntarily inside the test venue, but according to the guidelines of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, confirmed cases and symptomatic individuals are strongly recommended to wear masks at all times.

Confirmed cases can take the mock test in separate rooms within schools or at separate test centers by city or province, as was the case last year.

Test-takers can also take the test online through the online test website, which operates until 9 p.m. on the 2nd of next month, and still receive their score reports. However, the scores of online test-takers will not be included in the overall test-taker results.

Objections related to the test questions will be accepted from the test day, the 1st of next month, until 6 p.m. on the 4th.

After review, the final answers will be confirmed at 5 p.m. on the 13th of next month. Score reports will be released on the 28th of next month.