160,000 Repeat Test Takers Expected for 2027 CSAT
Expanded Medical School Quotas and Community Doctor System Spur Top Students to Try Again
As the number of students who failed to gain admission through the 2026 regular admission process increased by 6.9% compared to the previous year, projections suggest that the number of so-called repeat test takers will surge again for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) to be held this year. Analysts say that the expansion of medical school enrollment quotas and the introduction of the community doctor system are together stimulating the desire for another attempt among top-tier test takers.
A test taker prepares for the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The Asia Business Daily DB
According to the education sector on the 9th, the number of students to be selected through the 2026 regular admission process at about 190 universities nationwide stands at 86,004, down 9,402 from the previous year. In contrast, the total number of applications submitted by test takers reached 514,873, an increase of 18,257 from a year earlier.
As current high school seniors born in 2007, the so-called Year of the Golden Pig cohort, which had a relatively high number of births, overlapped with approximately 159,000 repeat test takers, the number of applicants increased. Consequently, the number of failed applications in the regular admission process is estimated to rise from 401,210 last year to 428,869 this year, an increase of 27,659 cases (6.9%).
In general, the larger the number of students who fail in the regular admission process, the more repeat test takers tend to challenge the CSAT again the following year. On top of this, the expansion of medical school quotas and the introduction of the community doctor system starting from the 2027 academic year are expected to further increase the number of repeat test takers this year compared to previous years.
The final decision on the number of medical school admissions is expected as early as next week, and forecasts suggest that 700 to 800 more students per year will be admitted compared to this year. In fact, for the 2025 CSAT, when medical school quotas were temporarily increased by about 1,500 students, the number of repeat test takers reached about 161,000, the highest level since the 2004 academic year.
The community doctor system selects a certain proportion of incoming medical students, provides them with tuition and living expenses, and then requires them to serve for 10 years in the designated region after graduation. Since only graduates of middle and high schools located in the medical school’s region or adjacent areas are eligible to apply, analysts say this could spur additional demand for another attempt among top-performing students from those regions.
The admissions industry, citing the increase in the number of students who failed in the regular admission round and policy changes related to medical schools, expects the number of repeat test takers this year to reach the low 160,000 range.
It is also being observed that students are deciding to repeat a year earlier than in previous years. According to Yonhap News, an official at a large private admissions academy said, "Since right after the CSAT, more students have been choosing to repeat a year," adding, "Judging from the recent atmosphere, the number of repeat test takers could increase by up to about 10% compared to previous years."
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