[2025 CSAT] 'Killer Questions' Will Disappear... EBS Passages and Charts Will Be Similar

2025 College Scholastic Ability Test on November 14
Policy to Remove Ultra-High Difficulty Questions to Maintain Appropriate Discrimination
Indirect EBS Linkage... Broad Use of Textbook Materials Encouraged

In the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scheduled for November 14 this year, so-called 'killer questions' will be thoroughly excluded. In particular, the linkage between EBS CSAT textbooks and lectures and the CSAT questions will be conducted indirectly, and materials included in the linked textbooks will be widely utilized.

On the morning of the 28th, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced the "2025 College Scholastic Ability Test Implementation Basic Plan" containing these details. This year's CSAT will feature questions of appropriate difficulty that students can solve by faithfully receiving school education within the scope of public education and supplementing it with EBS linked textbooks and lectures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

First, in accordance with the government's measures to reduce private education, ultra-high difficulty 'killer questions' will be eliminated to maintain appropriate discrimination. The linkage between EBS CSAT textbooks and lectures and the CSAT questions will be conducted indirectly, and the linkage perception will be enhanced through the use of materials such as charts, pictures, and passages included in the linked textbooks. The linkage rate is about 50% based on the number of questions per area and subject.

To ensure the stable creation and administration of the CSAT, two mock tests (in June and September) will also be conducted to provide examinees with opportunities to adapt. For the Korean history section, which is designated as mandatory, the plan is to assess basic knowledge of our history that high school graduates should have, rather than discrimination.

According to the test system introduced from the 2022 CSAT, the Korean language, mathematics, and vocational exploration sections apply a 'common subject + elective subject' structure. In the social and science exploration sections, examinees can choose up to two subjects from 17 elective subjects without distinction between social and science.

As in last year, the English, Korean history, and second foreign language/Chinese characters sections will be conducted on an absolute evaluation basis, and in the Korean history and exploration sections, answer sheets for Korean history and exploration will be separately provided to examinees. To aid understanding of this, three types of 2025 CSAT guide materials will be provided on the Institute's CSAT website at the end of March and distributed to high schools nationwide.

To protect the rights and improve convenience for persons with disabilities, visually impaired examinees who require Braille test papers and wish to do so will be provided with computers installed with screen reading programs and test paper files or audio tapes for the program. Braille information terminals that can utilize calculation functions will also be prepared for the second period mathematics section and the fourth period exploration section.

Measures to alleviate the educational cost burden for low-income groups will also be implemented. Currently, the government operates a refund system for examination fees and an exemption system for examination fees for recipients of national basic livelihood security and legally designated lower-income groups to reduce the economic burden on examinees and parents. Specific implementation plans and procedures for the examination fee refund and exemption systems will be announced in the detailed implementation plan notice scheduled for July.