S. Korea holds national college entrance exam
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea held the annual state-administered college entrance exam on Thursday, with roughly half a million applicants sitting for the high-stakes test that some claim will determine their future.
The College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), also known as "suneung," began at 1,185 exam venues across the nation at 8:40 a.m., according to the education ministry.
The marathon exam, which covers five test subjects, including Korean, math and English, is scheduled to finish at 5:40 p.m.
A total of 548,734 applicants were expected to sit for this year's exam, with 394,024 of them high school students. The number of high school student applicants is the lowest since 1993.
The CSAT, held only once a year, is considered critical in Asia's fourth-largest economy. Parents accompany their children to schools and pray for their children at churches and temples.
It is also considered a national event, with working hours at public offices delayed by an hour to 10 a.m. to prevent traffic congestion for applicants going to test venues. The local stock and currency markets also open an hour later than usual.
Flight schedules will also be affected for 35 minutes from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m., when English listening tests will take place.
This year's test results are scheduled to be released on Dec. 4.
mlee@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
1 S. Korea launches anti-dumping probe into Vietnamese plywood
-
2 N. Korean envoy to Czech returns home: spy agency
-
3 U.S. flies reconnaissance plane over S. Korea
-
4 (3rd LD) Korea's exports down for 12th month amid trade rows, chip slump
-
5 (LEAD) Investigator believed to have been involved in election-meddling row found dead
-
1 N. Korea calls Abe 'most stupid man' for mistaking projectiles from super-large launcher for ballistic missiles
-
2 S. Korea launches anti-dumping probe into Vietnamese plywood
-
3 N. Korea says it too will use force against U.S. if necessary
-
4 (3rd LD) Korea's exports down for 12th month amid trade rows, chip slump
-
5 (News Focus) Trump's revival of military threat intended to curb N.K. provocations: experts
-
1 U.S. flies more surveillance planes over Korean Peninsula: aviation tracker
-
2 Defense cost-sharing talks fail to yield concrete result amid U.S. demand for hefty rise: Seoul negotiator
-
3 S. Korea gripped by season's coldest weather
-
4 (News Focus) N. Korea's toned-down criticism signals willingness for talks: experts
-
5 (2nd LD) Senior N.K. official warns Pyongyang could resume war of words against U.S.