College Scholastic Ability Test Similar to the Previous Year

The 2004 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on November 5 was considered to be similar to or even easier than last year’s exam. However, many examinees felt that the Social and Natural Science section was difficult.

Students below the average academic standard replied that the Korean section was more difficult than that of the September trial exam. Therefore, it is expected that in the Korean and Science sections, this year’s score gap between students above and below the average academic standard will widen from that of the previous year.

“This year’s college entrance exam was set up with consideration for the standards of the previous exam and the September trial exam,” said Bae Doo-bon, professor of Korea National University of Education and the chairman of the committee of the CSAT examiners, at the press conference this day.

As for the Korean section in the first period, students above the average academic standard responded that it was “quite easy,” but below-average examinees said that there were some difficult questions, such as one on quantum mechanics.

Lee Suk-rok, who is teaching Korean at Hwa Gok High School in Seoul, said, “Out of five questions with three points each, three of them were not easy to answer, and quite a few questions even asked for comprehensive thinking ability.“

Many students replied that the Mathematics and Inquiry section (second period) was even easier than that of last year, which was quite ordinary. Especially, the General Mathematics section was very simple and even students of the humanities department are expected to have a higher average score.

The Social Science section of the third period was as difficult as that of last year, but since the Natural Science section had several unfamiliar questions, students responded by saying that it was quite tough.

“The General Natural Science section was more difficult than in the trial tests, and unexpected questions came up in the Earth Science and Biology sections,” said Son Bo-nam, a 18 year-old female student of Seoul Science High School.

Principal Kim Young-il of Joonang Academy predicted that the above-average students would be highly influenced by the results of the writing test and interview because it would be difficult to properly judge their scholastic ability based on this year’s exam, while students below average would be affected by the scores of each section.

This year, out of 674,154 students who applied for the exam, 31,514 or 4.67 percent of them did not show up for the test.

Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation, which supervises the CSAT, will announce the estimated score results on the afternoon of November 6.

Seong-Chul Hong sungchul@donga.com