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Focus on Preparing for English And Mathematics

Posted October. 04, 2001 08:35,   

한국어

The 130 universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Sogang University will interview for recruiting new students in the second semester from this month until the end of the year.

The 34 universities such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Sogang University decided to utilize oral exam in October. The 87 universities will perform the oral exams in November, and the 9 universities announced that they would also have the oral exams in December.

Like the student recruitment in the first semester, the oral exams would be the most crucial factor for deciding the admission for students in the second semester. In case of the top-ranking students selection in the certain departments of the Hanyang University, the 144 (72 percent) out of 200 new students passed the entrance exams by recovering the defect from the high school transcripts in the oral exam and the major aptitude test.

Conducting the oral exam until last month, the Korea University, the Kyunghee University, and the Sungkyunkwan Unviersity placed more weight on the English reading comprehension and the mathematics abilities.

The experts advised that ``considering that the universities have stressed more on evaluating the abilities of English and mathematics, the applicants should prepare the university entrance exams focusing on English and mathematics like preparing the Main Exam.``

▼ Reading Comprehension Is Basic

While some universities asked questions related to the reading comprehension and the conversation in the first semester, almost all universities tested the English reading comprehension ability irrespective of the department in the second semester.

The Korea University tested the reading comprehension ability in the interview test and the essay test for the college of the arts and science, and the Kyunghee University evaluated the reading comprehension ability of the applicants on the basic scientific essays for the college of natural science. The Hanyang University demanded the applicants for the college of arts and science on comprehending the essays about `the forms of life of the natives` in the group discussion, and the University of Seoul tested the reading comprehension ability of the applicants for the college of arts and science by offering them the English statements of the TV history drama and the traffic regulations.

▼ Mathematics Decides On Admission In Natural Science Departments

The universities evaluated the ability on a variety of questions from the simple question solving to the explanation on the definition and the terms, the demonstration of a theorem, and the applied questions in the first semester. The Korea University offered the separate written mathematics test. And most universities including the Hanyang Univeristy and the Unviersity of Seoul placed more weight on the mathematics ability.

Since the problem solving process is important in the mathematics, the applicants need to carefully examine the former tests and to master the core concepts and theorems. The matrix, differential calculus, and functions are the frequently tested questions. Since it has never been tested beyond the normal ability of the high school students, the applicants need not worry too much before the test. As the interviewers try to evaluate the mathematical thinking ability, the applicants should not give up in the middle of the test even if they do not know the answers.

▼ Evaluation On Fundamental Knowledge Is Multifarious

In the first semester, the basic knowledge evaluation mainly comprised of the questions related to the current affairs, and the authenticity of the self-introduction and recommendations.

However, most universities have tried to heighten the judgment criteria with a variegated questioning, and to screen out the answers that were disciplined through the extracurricular work, the experts analyzed.

It would be necessary for the applicants to establish their own views on the political, economic and social issues, and answer the questions by utilizing the basic concepts that they have learned from the high school textbooks.

Rho Hwan-Ki, the director of the essay department of the Daehak preparatory school, advised, ``It would be good for the applicants to develop their thoughts on the social issues relating to the departments or colleges that they would apply. ``



Lee Jin-Yeong ecolee@donga.com