Record number of retakers for 2025 CSAT amid surge in medical school applicants

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) for the 2025 academic year, scheduled for November 14, will see the highest number of repeat test-takers and those who passed the qualification exam in 21 years.

According to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Eval‎uation on Wednesday, a total of 181,893 students have applied for the 2025 CSAT. This includes high school graduates and qualification exam passers, marking the highest number of applicants since 2004, when 198,025 students applied.

Education experts attribute the increase to a growing number of students retaking the CSAT, particularly those aiming for medical school admissions. This surge follows the government’s announcement to expand the medical school admissions quota. The number of available spots in the nation’s 39 medical schools has risen from 3,113 in 2024 to 4,610 in 2025, an increase of 1,497, heightening competition.

Additionally, the record-high 20,109 students who passed the qualification exam have applied for the CSAT since 1995, when 42,297 students applied. Many of these students are believed to have voluntarily dropped out of high school to focus on their CSAT preparations by studying at private academies.

The number of college-enrolled students who have decided to retake the CSAT has also reached an all-time high. Jongro Institute, an educational institution, estimated this figure after analyzing the difference between the number of students who took the June mock exam and those who applied for the CSAT. According to the institute, 93,195 college-enrolled students will be retaking the CSAT this year, the highest number since 2011, when such statistics were first recorded.


Ye-Na Choi yena@donga.com