A Middle School Student Who Brought a Backpack to the College Entrance Exam Venue and Faced Trouble, Why?

Unexplained Vibration Sound Leads to Discovery of Electronic Device Possession
Cause of Vibration Sound Still Unidentified

During the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test, a test taker who possessed an electronic device that turned off after an unidentified vibration was detected was treated as a cheater.

On the morning of the 14th, during the second period math exam at a high school in Busanjin-gu, Busan, a vibration sound was heard from the area where bags were gathered at the front of the classroom. Accordingly, after the exam for that subject ended, the proctors obtained consent from the test takers and conducted a bag inspection. As a result, a turned-off mobile phone was found in one test taker's bag.

On the morning of the 14th, when the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test was conducted, a proctor at Yeouido Girls' High School in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, is checking the bags submitted by students before the exam starts. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The test taker reportedly explained to the proctors, "I brought a bag I used in middle school that I usually did not use, so I did not know there was an unused phone inside." It was known that the phone the test taker usually used had been submitted to the proctors before the exam started.

The proctors tried to find the cause of the vibration sound but ultimately failed. Due to the unidentified vibration sound, the test taker possessing the unused phone was treated as a cheater. The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "Even though the phone was not currently in use, since it was found in the bag, it was handled as cheating according to the regulations."

Electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, smart devices, electronic dictionaries, and electronic cigarettes are not allowed in the CSAT testing rooms. All electronic devices must be submitted to the proctors before the first period begins. Cases of cheating are reviewed by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, which may invalidate all test results for the year or prohibit the test taker from taking the exam next year.