Anticipated CSAT drop in pass marks for Seoul medical school candidates

"A typical Korean CSAT usually features a few exceptionally challenging questions. However, this year's CSAT presented a barrage of slightly less difficult questions, resembling bullets."

Private educational institutes in Korea shared their observations on this year's exam, highlighting that the test was challenging despite the lack of explicitly labeled 'killer questions.’ Test takers also echoed this sentiment, facing unexpectedly challenging SAT despite prior assurances of no killer texts. Experts predict that the standard pass mark for top universities will likely be lower than the previous year.

On Friday, Jongro Academy, a prominent cram school in Korea, forecasted that pass marks for medical schools in Seoul may decrease by up to five points. Projections include a drop to 292 (out of a perfect score of 300 for Korean, math, and two additional subjects) for Seoul National University College of Medicine, a two-point decrease from last year. Korea University College of Medicine is expected to be at 288, a four-point decline, and Yonsei University College of Medicine at 290, a three-point decrease from the previous year. Pass marks for popular natural science majors in these universities are also anticipated to drop by as much as eight points, while their business departments may see a maximum four-point reduction.

Many observed that all subjects, including Korean, math, and English, were more challenging in this year's CSAT than the previous year. Notably, Korean was difficult, with numerous private educational institutes anticipating the highest standard score for Korean to range from 146 to 148, a potential increase of up to 14 points from last year.


Ye-Na Choi yena@donga.com