[2026 CSAT] This Year's CSAT on November 13... 'Killer Questions' Excluded for 3 Consecutive Years

Questions Created Using Various Passages and Materials
Korean History Assesses Basic Literacy... 20 Core Questions
Registration Opens August 21, Score Reports Released December 5

This year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) will be held on November 13. The ultra-difficult questions (killer questions), which have been excluded since 2023, will also be excluded this year. Instead, questions will be created in connection with EBS CSAT textbooks and lectures.

On the morning of the 14th, when the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was held, examinees were preparing for the exam at the testing site set up at Banpo High School in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The basic framework is not much different from last year. The test areas are divided into Korean, Mathematics, English, Korean History, Inquiry (Social Studies, Science, Vocational), and Second Foreign Language/Chinese Characters, and all examinees must take the Korean History section.

The Korean, Mathematics, and Vocational Inquiry sections maintain the 'common subjects + elective subjects' structure. In the Korean section, the common subjects are Reading and Literature, and examinees must choose one subject from 'Speech and Writing' or 'Language and Media.' Questions will be created using various passages and materials from the curriculum. In the Mathematics section, Mathematics I and Mathematics II are common subjects, and examinees must select one elective subject from 'Probability and Statistics,' 'Calculus,' or 'Geometry.'

In the Social Studies and Science sections, examinees can choose up to two subjects from 17 subjects regardless of the social or science distinction, and in the Vocational Inquiry section, up to two subjects can be selected from six subjects.

The English, Korean History, and Second Foreign Language/Chinese Characters sections are graded on an absolute evaluation basis. Korean History consists of a total of 20 questions focusing on core content to assess basic literacy.

Measures to reduce the educational expenses burden for low-income families will also be implemented. Examination fees will be refunded or waived for recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security and legally designated lower-income groups. Detailed implementation plans and procedures for this will be announced on July 7 as part of the detailed CSAT implementation plan.

CSAT registration will be open from August 21 to September 5, and scoring will begin on November 14, immediately after the test, with score reports released on December 5.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation stated, "We will measure reasoning, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills in line with the content and level of the high school curriculum," adding, "We will exclude questions that favor students who have learned problem-solving techniques and repeatedly trained in private education, and will create questions that maintain appropriate discrimination within the scope of public education."