Seoul Out-of-School Youth to Receive Support for University Entrance Preparation: Academic and Mock Exam Access Improved

Test centers will now be open to out-of-school youth who had previously been unable to sit for the National Joint Academic Assessment (Hakpyeong) due to not being enrolled in school. Since June, the government has also covered the fee for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) mock examination, which is expected to improve the conditions for preparing for university admission, regardless of school enrollment status.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on August 3, out-of-school youth in the Seoul area will be eligible to take the 12th-grade academic assessment scheduled for October 20. Eligible candidates include those planning to take the 2027 CSAT, those registered at out-of-school youth support centers or the Out-of-School Youth Help Center under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, those who have passed the high school equivalency examination, or applicants for the second session of the 2026 high school equivalency exam. The exam fee is free of charge, and the test will be administered at designated test centers by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Until now, only current high school students could take the Hakpyeong, making it difficult for out-of-school youth to determine their nationwide ranking and identify weak areas in preparation for the CSAT. In March, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the restriction by educational authorities preventing out-of-school youth from taking the Hakpyeong was unlawful. Reflecting the intent of this ruling, from this October’s assessment onward, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will run a pilot program allowing out-of-school youth of 12th-grade age to take the exam, and plans to further improve the program by addressing any shortcomings that arise.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education expects that this measure will enhance the motivation to learn among out-of-school youth and provide objective data necessary for planning their career and academic paths. Based on the results of this pilot, the Office plans to discuss offering out-of-school youth across all 16 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide the opportunity to participate in academic assessments starting from next year.

Out-of-school youth will also be able to take the CSAT mock exam in September completely free of charge. Previously, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that it would support the CSAT mock examination fees for out-of-school youth for the 2027 academic year starting this year. Unlike in-school students, out-of-school youth had to pay the fee of 12,000 won per test, which often led to them being excluded from support programs. As a result, starting from the June mock exam and continuing with the one in September, out-of-school youth aged 9 to 24 are eligible for full fee support. Applications can be submitted via the “Service Application” menu on the Youth1388 website by September 30.

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