One in Three Test-Takers for This Year's CSAT Are Repeaters... Highest Proportion of Graduates in 31 Years

173,706 Graduates and 22,767 Qualification Exam Holders
Current Students 64.4% vs. Graduates and Others 35.6%
"Half-Repeaters" Hit All-Time High... Nearly 99,000

For the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scheduled for November 19, statistics show that one in three test-takers will be so-called "repeaters," which includes graduates and those who passed the qualification exam. The number of such repeaters amounted to 196,473, the highest figure in the past 23 years, and their proportion reached 35.6%, setting a new record for the first time in 31 years.

This is analyzed as a result of many test-takers making another attempt, not only because it is the last exam administered under the current CSAT system but also due to the introduction of the new regional medical doctor program for the first time. Both the "Sathan-Run" and "Hwaktong-Run" reached their highest levels since the integrated CSAT was introduced for the 2022 academic year.

On the 4th, the first mock College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was held after the announcement of the admission guidelines reflecting the increase in medical school admissions for the 2025 academic year. Repeat exam takers were taking the mock test at the Jongno Academy Mokdong Headquarters in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on September 8, a total of 551,864 applicants registered for this year’s CSAT. This represents a decrease of 2,310 (0.4%) from the previous year.

While the overall number of applicants declined, the number of graduates and other repeaters increased significantly.

The number of graduates was 173,706, up 13,784 (an 8.6% increase) from last year, while 22,767 applicants had passed the qualification exam, an increase of 412 (1.8%). In total, 196,473 applicants fall into the category of graduates and qualification exam holders.

On the 20th, a private academy located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, had the phrase "Medical School Repeat Students" written on its window. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

According to an analysis by Jongno Academy, this is the largest number in 23 years since the 198,025 recorded for the 2004 academic year. In particular, the number of qualification exam applicants is the highest in 32 years since the 42,297 seen in the 1995 academic year. Jongno Academy explained, "Back then, school internal grades shifted from absolute to relative evaluation, causing a 'foreign language high school withdrawal incident' that led to a surge in qualification exam takers."

The proportion of these graduates and qualification exam holders among all test-takers rose to 35.6%, the highest in 31 years. In contrast, the number of current students stood at 355,391, down 16,506 (a 4.4% drop) from last year, accounting for 64.4% of the total.

The admissions industry estimates that the number of "half-repeaters," who are currently enrolled in college but are taking the CSAT again, is also at an all-time high. Jongno Academy estimated the size of this group at 99,542 based on the difference between repeat test-takers in the June mock exam and the actual CSAT applicants this year.

The main reason for the record-high increase in repeaters is the fact that the 2027 academic year will be the last CSAT held under the current elective subject system.

Beginning with the 2028 academic year, the elective subjects in Korean and mathematics will be abolished, and the inquiry subjects will also change to Integrated Social Studies and Integrated Science. The first-time implementation of the regional medical doctor program, which expanded admission to medical schools, also contributed to an influx of high-achieving repeaters.

There were significant changes in subject selection this year as well. Among the 527,255 applicants who registered for social studies and science inquiry, 367,073 students (69.6%) chose only social studies inquiry.

On the other hand, only 75,036 students (14.2%) chose only science inquiry, while 85,146 students (16.1%) opted to select one subject from both social studies and science inquiry.

The phenomenon of "Hwaktong-Run," where students choose probability and statistics over calculus and geometry, also reached its peak since the introduction of the integrated CSAT.

The number of students choosing probability and statistics was 336,539, accounting for 64.9% of mathematics applicants. In contrast, 168,199 students (32.4%) selected calculus, and only 14,201 (2.7%) opted for geometry.

Industry experts believe that with the simultaneous increase in repeaters and concentration in certain elective subjects, it will be even more difficult than usual to predict this year’s CSAT scores and acceptance lines. They advise a conservative approach regarding the likelihood of meeting minimum academic requirements for university applications.

Im Seongho, CEO of Jongno Academy, commented, "With a large influx of repeaters for the last CSAT under the existing university admission system and the unprecedented 'Sathan-Run' and 'Hwaktong-Run' phenomena, significant advantages or disadvantages between elective subjects may occur," and added, "Cautious and stable strategies will be necessary when planning early admission tactics as well."

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