Yumi Corporation's "E Mirae Sharp": Subtle Apricot Hue
2026 CSAT Pencil Receives Praise as "Pretty"
A New Color Chosen Each Year to Prevent Cheating
The "CSAT mechanical pencil," which attracts attention every year with its color and design, is once again a hot topic this year. For the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test, it was revealed that a soft apricot-colored mechanical pencil was distributed, prompting a series of positive reactions such as "It's pretty."
A mechanical pencil for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) being sold on a secondhand trading site. Bungejangter
According to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on November 13, the "E Mirae Sharp" from Yumi Corporation was officially distributed at the test sites for the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test held that day. The "CSAT mechanical pencil" becomes a topic of conversation every year among both test-takers and online users because its color and design change annually. This year’s mechanical pencil, featuring a subtle apricot color, received widespread praise immediately after its release.
The institute has been manufacturing and distributing a dedicated mechanical pencil for the CSAT every year since 2006. Excluding repeat test-takers, essentially everyone born from 1987 onward has experienced the "CSAT mechanical pencil." Test-takers are given the pencil all at once after entering the exam room, and only this pencil is allowed during the test.
The dedicated mechanical pencil system was introduced after large-scale cheating using mobile phones was uncovered during the 2005 CSAT. Considering that it was possible at the time to hide cameras in writing instruments of similar colors, the institute has continued to keep the pencil color undisclosed before the exam.
The supplier of the CSAT mechanical pencil is selected every year through a Public Procurement Service bid. In the early years, the "Mirae Sharp" from Yumi Corporation was used for five years, followed by various models such as Barunson's "Genesis," Dong-A Pencil's "XQ Ceramic III," and Geno S&D's "Challenge." Notably, since the introduction of the dedicated mechanical pencil system in 2006, the same color has never been repeated.
By year, the colors used were: blue, gray, and black tones from 2006 to 2010; light tones such as sky blue, turquoise, and light green from 2011 to 2014; pastel tones such as pink and mint from 2015 to 2019; white-based two-tone designs from 2020 to 2024; and mint in 2025.
Collection of College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) Mechanical Pencils from 2006 to 2025. Online Community
An official from the institute explained, "The core purpose is to prevent cheating," adding, "The principle is to select a color that does not overlap with previous years."
Meanwhile, some test-takers purchase and use the same model of mechanical pencil in advance to get used to the real test environment. Although the official price of the "E Mirae Sharp" is 1,000 won, it is often sold at a premium on secondhand trading sites immediately after the CSAT. Recently, on Bungejangter, a "2025 CSAT mechanical pencil" reportedly used by a successful Seoul National University medical student was listed for 45,000 won, drawing significant attention.
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