BBC: "Korean CSAT English Difficulty at Insane Level... Infamous Marathon Exam"

Presenting Two Questions and Urging Readers to "Try Them"

The British broadcaster BBC has focused on the controversy surrounding the difficulty level of the English section of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), providing a detailed account of the so-called "Bul-yeongeo" (literally, "un-English") debate raised among Korean test-takers.

Image to aid understanding of the article. Photo shows a student checking their College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) score report. Photo by Yonhap News.

On the 11th (local time), BBC reported, "The English section of the CSAT is notoriously difficult," adding, "Some students describe the English section of Korea's college entrance exam as being like 'deciphering ancient scripts' or at an 'insane' level."

Question 39 required students to select the correct sentence position within a passage explaining how video game participants perceive virtual reality. The question faced criticism for excessively obscure word choices and complex sentence structures. BBC noted, "Many people took issue with the wording of several questions, including this one."

The passage for Question 34, considered the most difficult, featured the legal philosophy of German philosopher Immanuel Kant. After explaining Kant's view that the rule of law guarantees not only safety and peace but also freedom, students were asked to select the sentence that best fits in the blank. Presenting this passage, BBC encouraged readers to "try it themselves if they want to test their skills." The article also mentioned that on the American online community Reddit, some criticized the passage as "pretentious wordplay" or "poorly written."

BBC also introduced the overall Korean CSAT system. The test was described as an "infamous eight-hour 'marathon' exam held every November," and it was noted that it affects not only university admission but also careers, income, and future relationships. The report continued, "Students must answer about 200 questions across subjects such as Korean, mathematics, English, social studies, and science. Many teenagers grow up preparing for this exam, and some attend private academies from as young as four years old." On test day, nationwide measures such as adjusting aircraft takeoff and landing times, halting construction, and delaying military training are implemented.

BBC reported, "Amid criticism and confusion over the exam's difficulty, the top official has stepped down," referring to the resignation of Oh Seunggeol, President of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, on the 10th. The outlet explained, "Since the CSAT was introduced in 1993, only four out of twelve institute presidents have completed their full three-year terms, with most resigning due to question errors. Oh is the first to resign specifically due to controversy over the exam's difficulty."