Rise in Regional Medical Doctor Program and Retakers... Unprecedented Competitive Pressure Expected for Test Takers

This Year’s CSAT on November 19
KICE to Maintain Stable Test Difficulty
Final Integrated CSAT Expected to Attract Large Number of Retakers

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) for the 2027 academic year will be held on November 19. The test is expected to be less difficult compared to last year, when it was considered a "killer CSAT." However, with the introduction of the "regional doctor system" this year, medical school quotas will increase. In addition, as the current CSAT format will change starting next year, a large number of repeat and multiple-year test takers are expected to take the test this year. This is expected to intensify competition among students applying through the regular admission process.

On March 31, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced the "Basic Plan for the Administration of the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test." The Institute stated that it will maintain a stable level of test difficulty by applying the Ministry of Education's "CSAT Question Format Improvement Plan." This measure was introduced in response to last year's controversy over the failed difficulty adjustment.

In the 2026 CSAT, only 3.11% of students achieved a Grade 1 in the English section, which is graded on an absolute scale, leading to criticism that the test was excessively difficult. In response, the Ministry of Education announced in February a set of improvement measures, including ▲ increasing the proportion of teacher-setters to 50% ▲ strengthening expertise verification in the selection process for test setters and reviewers ▲ operating section-specific item review committees ▲ utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in the test question development process. The Institute will implement these measures and, after the CSAT, will publicly release the educational curriculum basis for each question, such as achievement standards.

Problems that favor private education-style solving strategies will not be included, in line with current policy. The linkage rate between the CSAT and EBS (Educational Broadcasting System) textbooks and lectures will remain at 50%, so the test will be set at a difficulty level that students who study the school curriculum can solve. Half of the questions in each section and subject will be directly linked to EBS textbooks and lectures.

The CSAT consists of sections on Korean, Mathematics, English, Korean History, Inquiry (Social Studies, Science, Vocational), and Second Foreign Language/Chinese Characters. All students must take the Korean History section.

The Korean, Mathematics, and Vocational Inquiry sections will continue to follow a "common subject + elective subject" structure. In the Korean section, the common subjects are "Reading" and "Literature," and students must choose one elective from "Speech and Composition" or "Language and Media." In the Mathematics section, "Mathematics I" and "Mathematics II" are the common subjects, and students must select one elective from "Probability and Statistics," "Calculus," or "Geometry."

For Social Studies and Science, students can choose up to two subjects from a total of 17, regardless of category. For the Vocational Inquiry section, up to two subjects can be chosen from a pool of six. The English, Korean History, and Second Foreign Language/Chinese Characters sections are all graded on an absolute scale.

CSAT registration will take place from August 24 to September 4. Grading will begin on November 20, immediately after the test, and the score reports will be released on December 11.

The admissions industry predicts that this year's CSAT will be generally moderate in difficulty, with one or two questions providing differentiation among students. However, due to the increased number of repeat test takers resulting from last year's exceptionally difficult exam, perceived competition is expected to rise.

The introduction of the "Regional Doctor Selection Track," starting in the 2027 academic year, is also expected to impact the admissions landscape. As the medical school admissions structure, which has centered on the Seoul metropolitan area, undergoes partial restructuring, the overall competition is likely to become even more complex. Furthermore, as this year's CSAT will be the last under the current integrated system, many students view it as their "last chance," which could further intensify competition among top students. Beginning in the 2028 academic year, elective subjects will be abolished, and both humanities and science track students will be required to take "Integrated Social Studies" and "Integrated Science."

Lee Manki, head of the Uway Education Assessment Research Center, said, "Although the competition for university admission is fiercer this year, students must consider various factors that could determine the outcome, such as regular and early admissions, selection criteria, and choice of applications, in a comprehensive manner."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.