"Overcoming the Tough CSAT": Gangwon Students See Rise in Top Korean and Math Scores

Gangwon Office of Education Announces 2026 CSAT Results Analysis
Upper-Middle Performance Maintained in Korean and English Despite Higher Difficulty
Continued Increase in Top Performers and Decrease in Lower Performers in Mathematics
Need for Ongoing Support of Academic Policies Based on the Self-Directed Learning Program Reaffirmed

The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education announced on January 7 that, despite an overall increase in the difficulty level of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (hereinafter referred to as the CSAT), the academic achievement of students in the province has remained relatively stable, based on an analysis of test results for current students in the region.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Office of Education.

This analysis was conducted for students enrolled at 88 high schools in the province, including general high schools, autonomous high schools, and special-purpose high schools. The analysis comprehensively examined test participation, subject selection trends, and achievement distribution by subject area.

For the 2026 CSAT, the number of test-takers increased by 1,106 from the previous year to 13,080, due to a rise in the population of third-year high school students. The absentee rate for the first session was 10.92%, a decrease of 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous year. This indicates that the importance of CSAT scores continues to grow, as the proportion of repeat test-takers remains steady and the minimum academic achievement requirements for university admissions become increasingly significant.

In terms of subject selection, students in the Gangwon region showed higher rates of choosing Speech and Composition in the Korean section and Social Studies in the elective subjects compared to the national average. This reflects a tendency to prioritize securing stable grades rather than focusing on the discriminatory power of standardized scores.

According to the analysis of the CSAT results, the Korean section saw a slight increase in the proportion of students achieving grades 1 to 3, despite the higher level of difficulty compared to the previous year, while lower-performing students tended to cluster within certain grade ranges. In mathematics, the proportion of students in grades 1 and 2 increased, while the proportion in the lowest grade (grade 8) decreased significantly. The English section, which was evaluated as the most difficult in history, saw a decrease in the proportion of students in grades 1 and 2 due to the absolute grading system, but an increase in grades 3 and 4, resulting in a more pronounced concentration of students in the mid-range grades.

The proportion of students in the province achieving grades 1 to 3 in the Korean section rose by an average of 0.18 percentage points, indicating a slight improvement among top performers despite the increased difficulty.

For the mathematics section, the proportion of students achieving grades 1 and 2 in the province increased by an average of 0.47 percentage points, with top performers increasing despite the perceived higher difficulty.

In the English section, the proportion of students achieving grades 1 and 2 in the province decreased by an average of 1.98 percentage points, reflecting weaker performance among top students due to the increased difficulty. However, the proportion of students in grades 3 and 4 increased by an average of 3.07 percentage points, resulting in a thicker mid-range distribution.

Despite the higher difficulty in the Korean and English sections, academic achievement among upper-middle students was maintained. In mathematics, the trend of increasing top performers and decreasing lower performers continued. This demonstrates the gradual effectiveness of the academic policies that have been implemented.

In particular, the mathematics section appears to have been influenced in part by the "Self-Directed Learning Program for Improving Secondary Mathematics Achievement for the 2025 Academic Year," and the plan is to maintain and strengthen this program this year as well.

Additionally, for the English section, which is graded on an absolute scale, efforts are being made to help students maintain stable grades regardless of the difficulty of the test. This year, tailored programs and support measures to improve secondary English achievement are being specifically prepared.

Han Yuseon, Director of Education, stated, "We will continue to support Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province students so that they can not only excel in school records but also enhance their ability to respond to the CSAT," adding, "We will improve and strengthen the Self-Directed Learning Program (creating a school culture of self-directed study) to enhance the competitiveness of public education and nurture each student's potential."