Flights halted, police escorts: How seriously South Korea takes its college exam

South Korean students took the toughest exam of their lives today (November 13). Airplanes came to a halt and police were on standby to escort tardy students to the annual college entrance exam.

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) can steer the rest of their lives for these college hopefuls. The intense exam saw lakhs of students appear at thousands of centres across the country this year.

Let’s take a closer look.

What is CSAT?

The CSAT, or suneung in Korean, is an annual exam that students undertake to secure spots at top universities. It is held on a Thursday in the third week of November.

According to The Korea JoongAng Daily, high schoolers in their third year or those with a high school diploma can take the CSAT.

The eight-hour-long test consists of five subjects.

Applicants taking four subjects — Korean, mathematics, English, and Korean history — have to pay a testing fee of 37,000 won (Rs 2,240). Those appearing for five subjects, including an elective in science or social studies, have to shell out 42,000 won (Rs 2,543). Those who also take the second foreign language section must pay 47,000 won (Rs 2,846).

The CSAT is a culmination of gruelling preparations of at least three years, including more than 10 state-run mock tests.

How Korea prepares for CSAT

Seen as one of South Korea’s most important academic events, the government goes all out to create a conducive environment for test-takers.

It grounds flights, halts military training, and deploys police officers en masse for traffic control.

Military and civilian flights across South Korea were grounded for 35 minutes from 1:05 pm local time (9:35 am IST) to 1:40 pm (10:10 am IST), as students took the listening section of the English exam.

During this period, only emergency flights are allowed to operate. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, aircraft already in the air must keep a minimum altitude of about 1 ½ miles (2.4 km) until the restriction is lifted.

Flying drones and ultralight vehicles are also banned during this period.

As many as 140 flights, 65 domestic and 75 international, were rescheduled due to Korea’s high-stakes exam.

Military aircraft were also grounded, while military operations were adjusted on the CSAT day. Defence drills, such as artillery fire and tank manoeuvres, were reportedly suspended.

On Thursday, 10,475 police officers and 2,238 patrol cars were mobilised to manage traffic across the country. Any test-takers who run late can call 112 for free rides in police cars or on motorcycles to their exam venues, reported The Korea JoongAng Daily.

Those who arrive later than 8:10 am (4:40 am IST) are not allowed inside the venue and have to wait another year to take the test.

Stock markets, which usually open at 9 am (5:30 am IST), opened an hour later to ease traffic congestion in the morning.

In Seoul, the subway service was increased by 29 runs, mostly in the morning hours, to help students arrive on time at their test centres, reported The Korea Times.

The government also urged state-run agencies and institutions to begin their day by 10 am local time to ensure low traffic for test-takers.

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Koreans take CSAT

The 2026 academic year CSAT was held in 85 testing districts across 1,310 testing sites nationwide.

A total of 554,174 applicants were to appear for the Thursday exam, a 31,504, or six per cent, jump from last year. This was the highest figure since 2018, The Korea Times reported, citing the education ministry. The number of test-takers has increased this year, as most applicants were born in 2007, the year of the auspicious Golden Pig, when the birth rate was unusually high.

Of the total number of applicants this year, 67.1 per cent were high school seniors and 28.9 per cent were graduates.

The South Korean society puts intense pressure on students to excel in these exams, as an individual’s social standing is equated with their university’s stature.

Parents, friends and even neighbours cheer the aspirants taking the annual college entrance exam. Many parents stay put at school gates, praying, while their children take the CSAT.

Collective prayers are organised at churches and temples across the country, with some daily sessions beginning 100 or 30 days before the exam.

In Jeonju, some 200 km south of Seoul, an emotional mother, who watched her daughter enter a test centre, told The Korea Times, “I’m just thankful to my daughter that she studied for over 10 years to take this exam. I just want her to perform as usual without aiming too high.”

The higher number of aspirants appearing for the college entrance exam has worried some parents, who fear increased competition this time.

Speaking to CHOSUNBIZ, a parent surnamed Kang, standing outside the Yeouido Girls’ High School, said, “Including repeat takers, I heard it’s the largest number in seven years. I should have avoided giving birth in the year of the golden pig.”

Another parent said, “There are so many kids that the competition rate will probably just be high.”

For now, all they can do is wait for the official results. The exam answers will be announced at 5 pm (1:30 pm IST) on November 25, while report cards will be out on December 5.

With inputs from agencies