97% of Top Scorers in CSAT Math Choose Calculus and Geometry... What About Liberal Arts Students?

Surge in Seoul National University Students Taking Leave Due to Munhwa Invasion

In the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), students who chose Calculus and Geometry among the math elective subjects dominated the top 1% in math.

On the 13th, Jongno Academy analyzed the scores of 3,198 test-takers for the 2024 CSAT and found that among the students who scored in the top 1% in math, 96.5% had chosen Calculus and Geometry. Only 3.5% took Probability and Statistics.

On the morning of the 8th, the distribution day of the 2024 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) score reports, third-year students at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, are checking their scores.
[Photo by Joint Press Corps] [Image source=Yonhap News]

In 2022, the first year of the integrated CSAT, the proportion of top 1% math scorers who took Calculus and Geometry was 86.0%, and last year it was 81.4%. This year, it surged significantly, effectively indicating that these students have dominated the top 1%, according to academy experts.

Notably, even among the second-tier math scorers, 71.7% took Calculus and Geometry, and among the third-tier scorers, 71.4% did as well. It was only at the fourth tier that the proportion of Probability and Statistics test-takers exceeded half (52.9%).

This phenomenon is attributed to the fact that Probability and Statistics was relatively easy, while Calculus was challenging, resulting in a difference of about 11 points in the highest standard scores.

Although the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation does not disclose standard scores by elective subjects, academies analyze that this year the highest standard score for Calculus was 148 points, while Probability and Statistics remained at 137 points, with top ranks occupied by Calculus test-takers.

This issue has been raised since the introduction of the integrated CSAT, and the education sector expects it to be more pronounced this year, especially in math where there is a large performance gap among students.

The influence of math in college admissions is increasing, and the problem persists where students who intended to enter natural sciences but have high math standard scores are entering humanities and social sciences, a phenomenon known as ‘Mungwae Chim-gong’ (문과침공, literally ‘liberal arts invasion’).

Universities report side effects such as an increase in students dropping out after ‘Mungwae Chim-gong’ because their majors do not suit their aptitudes, and both the education authorities planning new admission systems and universities are seen as needing to prepare countermeasures.

‘Mungwae Chim-gong’ Also Prominent at Seoul National University

The phenomenon of ‘Mungwae Chim-gong’ was also prominent at Seoul National University (SNU), the top university in Korea. As of September 15 this year, there were 418 students on leave of absence among SNU freshmen, about 2.5 times the 168 students in 2019.

In the first semester, 252 students applied for leave, and in the second semester, 166 students did. This means more freshmen disappeared from campus than the number admitted by a single college. This year, SNU’s College of Humanities admitted 294 students, and the College of Social Sciences admitted 383 students.

This is about 2.48 times the 168 students in 2019, five years ago. In 2020, 247 students applied for leave, 259 in 2021, and 335 last year.

Some interpret the departure from humanities and social sciences as ‘Mungwae Chim-gong’ by natural science students. Since natural science students tend to score higher in math than humanities students, the number of natural science students admitted to humanities departments at universities like SNU has increased.

According to data from Assemblywoman Jeong Gyeong-hee’s office, 44.4% of the initial regular admission successful candidates in humanities and social sciences at SNU last year were natural science students.

Among the students on leave in 2023, 58 were from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, an increase of 10 from 48 the previous year. Humanities dropouts increased from 2 in 2019 to 10 last year, and students on leave rose from 5 to 26. This year, 26 students had applied for leave as of September.

In the College of Social Sciences, dropouts among freshmen increased from 3 in 2019 to 9 last year, and students on leave rose from 17 in 2019 to 22 last year. As of September this year, the number was 32.