259 This Year... Surpassing 200 for the First Time
This year, the number of incoming freshmen at Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University who graduated through the equivalency exam reached 259, the highest in the past eight years. The admissions industry believes that more students may develop university entrance strategies using the equivalency exam if their school grades are disadvantageous.
According to Jongro Academy on July 13, the number of equivalency exam graduates among incoming students at Korea University, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University for the 2025 academic year is 259. This is the largest number since Jongro Academy began collecting related data in the 2018 academic year.
On February 17, when the application period for the 2025 1st Elementary, Middle, and High School Equivalency Exams began, examinees were filling out their applications at the Suwon Office of Education in Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News
The number of equivalency exam graduates entering SKY universities has steadily increased since 2018. The numbers were 82 in 2019, 108 in 2020, 138 in 2021, 142 in the 2022 academic year, 155 in the 2023 academic year, and 189 last year, surpassing 200 for the first time this year.
The upward trend is also clear when the scope is expanded to the top 10 universities in Seoul. The number of equivalency exam graduates entering these universities was only 276 in 2018, but it has increased every year, reaching 785 this year and marking the highest figure in the past eight years.
This trend is analyzed as being influenced by the growing number of cases where the equivalency exam system, originally intended to provide educational opportunities for those unable to attend school, is being misused as a "fast track" for university admissions.
Seoul National University College of Medicine on March 27, the registration deadline for medical students. (Unrelated to the article) Photo by Yonhap News
The proportion of students choosing to enter university through the equivalency exam is also increasing. Last year, the number of equivalency exam graduates among College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) takers was 20,109, the highest since 1995, when a large number of students from special-purpose high schools dropped out and opted for the equivalency exam.
The increasing number of equivalency exam takers is attributed to the correlation between school grades and university admissions. Jongro Academy stated, "With the transition from a nine-level to a five-level grading system, students who do not rank within the top 10 percent may perceive themselves to be at a significant disadvantage and may revise their university entrance strategies to include the equivalency exam."
Equivalency exam takers are generally unable to apply for the student record-based admissions track at Korea University, Seoul National University, and Yonsei University, and their options for the comprehensive admissions track are also very limited. As a result, they are highly likely to be concentrated in the regular admissions process. Jongro Academy added, "In the future, more students may establish new university entrance strategies using the equivalency exam."
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