Posts Certifying Withdrawal Flood Online After First Session Ends
After the first section of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which was Korean language, a series of posts appeared online from examinees saying they had given up midway through the exam.
A post claiming that someone gave up the college entrance exam to attend a rally was published on an online community. Online community
On the 13th, a post titled "I gave up on the CSAT and left" was uploaded to an online community board. The examinee shared a photo of the official withdrawal certificate and wrote, "I just gave up because there was a rally today. Yoon Again." "Yoon Again" is a slogan chanted by supporters of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, expressing their hope for his return to politics.
There were also examinees who left the test site due to gaming. They posted their "2026 CSAT Withdrawal Certificate" as proof.
To officially withdraw from the CSAT, examinees must fill out and sign a withdrawal certificate. Afterward, they can retrieve their mobile phones and other items submitted before the test and leave the premises. All tests of examinees who withdraw from the CSAT are rendered invalid.
There were also cases of examinees giving up the test due to deteriorating health amid a flu outbreak. One examinee said, "I'm an engineering student and studied for about six months aiming for Seoul National University. I went to take the CSAT right after being discharged from the military, but I felt too sick." The examinee added, "I tested positive for the flu. It's disappointing."
Another student gave up the exam due to symptoms of panic disorder. According to the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education, during the first section of the CSAT at a test site in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, examinee A reported symptoms of panic disorder. The student was moved to a backup exam room, but as the condition did not improve, ultimately withdrew from the test and returned home.
On the morning of the 13th, when the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test was conducted, examinees were preparing for the exam at Yongsan High School in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps
'Golden Pig Year' examinees surged, but this year's absentee rate is 13.4%... Lower than last year
According to the Ministry of Education, the absentee rate for the first section of this year's CSAT was recorded at 9.4%. Out of 548,376 registered examinees for the first section, 497,080 actually took the test, resulting in a participation rate of 90.6%. This year's absentee rate for the first section is significantly lower than last year's rate of 13.4%.
By region, South Chungcheong Province had the highest absentee rate at 12.21%, followed by Incheon (11.82%), Daejeon (11.56%), North Chungcheong Province (11.16%), Gangwon Province (10.92%), and Gyeonggi Province (10.39%). The lowest absentee rate was in Busan at 6.64%, while Seoul recorded 8.78%.
This year, the number of current students taking the CSAT increased by 9.1% (31,120 students) compared to last year, as students born in 2007-the "Golden Pig Year," known for its high birth rate-took the exam as high school seniors. The number of "repeaters" was lower than last year's 161,784, but still remained high compared to the recent range of 120,000 to 130,000.
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