Only Half of N-Susaeng Saw Score Improvement
Average Percentile Rose from 69.5 to 75.3
Only half of the so-called "N-susaeng"?students who retook the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) last year?saw their scores improve compared to the previous year, while nearly 10% experienced a decline in their results.
On May 21, Jinhaksa announced that, after analyzing data from 41,248 students who took the CSAT consecutively for the 2024 and 2025 academic years, 50.2% of them saw their average percentiles in Korean, Mathematics, and Inquiry subjects rise by 5 points or more compared to the previous year. This means that only about half of the students achieved a significant improvement in their scores after one year.
For 39.6% of students, the change in average percentile was less than 5 points, indicating that their scores were similar to those for the 2024 academic year. Meanwhile, 10.2% of students actually saw their scores drop, with average percentiles falling by 5 points or more.
However, looking at the overall results, the average percentile in Korean, Mathematics, and Inquiry subjects for N-susaeng rose from 69.5 in the 2024 academic year to 75.3 in the 2025 academic year, an increase of 5.8 points. On average, N-susaeng who took the 2025 CSAT saw their scores rise compared to the previous year.
By subject, the Inquiry section showed the largest increase. The average percentile for Inquiry rose from 68.0 in the 2024 academic year to 75.8 in the 2025 academic year, an increase of 7.8 points. Korean saw an average increase of 5.6 points (from 69.9 to 75.5), while Mathematics rose by only 4.0 points (from 70.4 to 74.5), making it relatively more difficult to improve scores in Mathematics.
Additionally, among students who achieved an average grade of 1 in Korean, Mathematics, and Inquiry on the 2025 CSAT, 70.4% were N-susaeng, indicating that the proportion of graduates is higher among those with excellent scores.
Woo Yeoncheol, head of the Jinhaksa Admissions Strategy Research Institute, advised, "While everyone hopes for better results when starting a retake, it is important not to overlook the fact that many do not achieve this. If you decide to try again, I recommend first assessing your academic level and learning tendencies."
Meanwhile, the number of N-susaeng?including graduates and GED holders?who took the 2025 CSAT reached 181,893, the highest in 21 years since the 2004 academic year. As preference for top-tier universities continues to grow amid a tough job market, the number of N-susaeng has been steadily increasing. Last year, the surge in test-takers was further attributed to the expansion of medical school admissions.
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