Over 550,000 students set to take annual college entrance exam
SEOUL, Nov. 13 (Yonhap) -- The annual college entrance exam is set to be held nationwide Thursday with the largest number of applicants in seven years due in part to an unusually high birth rate in 2007.
The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), seen as one of the nation's most important academic events, will be administered at 1,310 test centers across the country from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
A total of 554,174 people have applied for this year's exam, up 31,504, or 6 percent, from last year and the highest figure since 2018, according to the education ministry.
High school seniors and graduates account for 67.1 percent and 28.9 percent of the total, respectively, it said.
Competition for admission to top colleges is expected to be fierce due to the large number of test-takers and the government's backtracking on a medical school quota increase.
Last year, the quota was increased by 1,497 slots to 4,610 under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's policy to address a shortage of doctors.
The plan backfired, however, forcing a return to the previous level of 3,123 seats.
Meanwhile, the number of test-takers is up in part because most people born in 2007, the year of the auspicious Golden Pig that saw an unusually high birth rate, are now in their third year of high school.
The CSAT is the culmination of years of grueling studies for many students, and the government makes every effort to cater to their needs on exam day.
All aircraft takeoffs and landings across the country will be banned from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. to minimize noise during the English listening portion of the exam.
Aircraft in flight, excluding those in emergency situations, must remain in the air at an altitude of 3 kilometers or higher under the direction of air traffic control authorities.
In Seoul, the subway service will be increased by 29 runs, mostly between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., to help students get to their test centers on time.
Stock markets, which are typically open from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., will open and close one hour later to ease morning rush-hour traffic.
hague@yna.co.kr
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