[The Editors' Verdict] Private Education Remains Unchanged Despite Exclusion of Killer Questions

There is a statistical anomaly in the correct answer rates of killer questions on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). On the 16th, the CSAT math question number 22 was reported to have been answered incorrectly by 91 out of 100 students (an estimated correct answer rate of 8.8%), sparking another controversy over killer questions. However, not all 100 students actually attempted this question; killer questions are only a concern for some regular admission and early admission students among the top-tier examinees.

A male student from Seoul aiming for a top-tier university's science and engineering department simply guessed on math question 22 and moved on. This student, who focused entirely on early admission, did not need a high CSAT score and therefore did not pay attention to preparing for killer questions, which contributed to the increased incorrect answer rate for question 22. In Korean language, five semi-killer questions with an expected incorrect answer rate of over 70% were also identified. A female student from a metropolitan city who applied to six medical schools through early admission fell asleep during the first period Korean language test on the 16th because none of the medical schools she applied to required Korean as a minimum CSAT subject. This student also contributed to the high incorrect answer rates for all five questions.

To put it bluntly, a killer question is one that only about 10 top-tier students need to solve, where 1 gets it wrong and 9 get it right. Whether one or two killer questions appear on the CSAT is therefore not the proper starting point for normalizing college admissions. The majority of examinees are gasping under the pressure of a ‘different killer’ rather than the ‘CSAT killer’.

The ‘different killer’ is the second stage exam after document screening: the interview (including essay tests). The reality of university interviews is that they are just renamed entrance exams. Top-tier university interviews include questions that completely dismiss CSAT killer questions. As the former president of POSTECH said, "The CSAT is the worst evaluation that kills creativity," this happens because universities distrust the CSAT.

Interviews vary greatly depending on the six universities and majors each examinee applies to, so high school teachers cannot manage them individually. Private education is indispensable. Although the government cracked down on the private education industry after President Yoon Seok-yeol’s directive in June, the hagwon (private academies) in Daechi-dong remain bustling today as the 2024 academic year admissions proceed.

There are many cases where students are accepted to Seoul National University but rejected by Yonsei University or Korea University, and vice versa. Since students cannot evenly distribute their efforts among six universities, they prepare for interviews mainly for their first-choice university, resulting in acceptance and rejection here and there. Through this process, students find the university that suits them, and universities meet freshmen who fit their desired talent profiles.

The government is pushing to remove killer questions from the CSAT while simultaneously expanding regular admissions that determine acceptance and rejection based on CSAT scores. The previous administration legislated that regular admissions at universities in Seoul must account for more than 40% of admissions. However, universities reluctantly comply but strongly resist expanding regular admissions that select students strictly by CSAT scores without autonomy. Therefore, they strengthen interviews to select even one more desired student from the shrinking early admission pool.

To calm the private education frenzy, the government must completely overhaul the CSAT. It must be redesigned as an attractive evaluation tool that universities themselves want to increase the proportion of regular admissions for. Simply removing killer questions is insufficient. Only when President Yoon instructs to “redesign the CSAT’s overall framework to become a test with creativity and discriminative power” can the fire be extinguished.