“Satam Run” Hits Record High: Over 80% of Test-Takers Expected to Choose Social Studies for 2027 CSAT

“Satam Run”: Natural Science Applicants Also Choose Social Studies
Peaking in the Final Year of the Integrated CSAT

Jongro Academy has projected that the proportion of students choosing social studies subjects for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which will be taken by this year’s high school juniors, will exceed 80%, marking an all-time high.

Various academies are located in the academy district building in Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.

In a report released on the 24th, Jongro Academy analyzed that 77.3% of test-takers are expected to select at least one social studies subject for the 2026 CSAT scheduled for next month, and predicted that this ratio will surpass 80% for the 2027 CSAT. In contrast, the percentage of students choosing only science subjects is expected to drop from 22.7% for the 2026 CSAT to the 10% range for the 2027 CSAT.

Among this year’s high school juniors, the proportion choosing social studies subjects in the nationwide mock exams steadily increased: 51.2% in March, 53.0% in June, and 56.7% in September. Compared to the same period last year, the September figure is up by 4.7 percentage points. By subject, the number of students choosing Life and Ethics rose by 10.0%, Social and Culture by 4.6%, and Ethics and Thought by 7.0%, with the total number of social studies examinees increasing by 13,828 compared to the previous year.

Conversely, the number of students taking science subjects dropped significantly. Chemistry I decreased by 20.2%, Earth Science I by 13.3%, Life Science I by 12.6%, and Physics I by 10.7%. In total, the four science subjects saw a combined decrease of 14.1% (46,973 students) compared to the previous year.

This trend is related to the phenomenon known as “Satam Run,” referring to the shift toward social studies subjects. Since the 2025 academic year, major universities have begun to accept social studies subjects as part of the minimum academic requirements for natural science departments, leading some students aspiring to science and engineering fields to choose social studies over science subjects.

Lim Seongho, CEO of Jongro Academy, stated, “The 2027 CSAT will be the final year for the current integrated format, so the Satam Run phenomenon is likely to peak.” He added, “Depending on the results of this year’s CSAT grading and the relative advantages in university admissions, the concentration on certain elective subjects may intensify further after the winter break.”

He also noted, “With the uncertainty over the end of the current university admissions system overlapping with the concentration on social studies, the unpredictability of the 2027 admissions process is increasing.”