Six Days Until the CSAT... 7 Mistakes to Avoid at the Exam Venue

"I was working through a difficult problem, and now there are only 10 minutes left."

"It asked me to choose the 'incorrect' answer, but I think I read it as 'Which one is correct?'"

Students solve problems ahead of the exam at Seoul Girls' High School in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of Sept. 2, the day of the September mock College Scholastic Ability Test for the 2027 academic year. Sept. 2, 2026. Photo by Joint Press Corps.

With the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) just six days away, experts advise students to be careful to avoid common mistakes like these at the exam venue.

On the 13th, the Etoos Education Research Institute outlined seven common mistakes students should watch out for during the CSAT and how to prevent them.

One of the most important things to watch out for at the exam venue is time management. Nervous students may waste time by reading passages multiple times or repeatedly checking their work. In particular, they may spend more time than expected on a particular passage in the Korean language section. To avoid poor time management, students should decide in advance on the question order and schedule that work best for them in each section.

Rather than spending too long on one question, students can mark questions they cannot solve and move on. However, when filling in the answer sheet, they should check whether they have skipped any questions.

Making mistakes on the OMR answer sheet or shifting answers by one row are among the most frustrating errors. It is a good idea to make a habit of checking question numbers against answer-sheet numbers at regular intervals. Before time is up, students should check for any unanswered questions.

Misreading the conditions in a question is also common. Students should carefully check key phrases that determine the answer, such as "correct," "incorrect," "all," and "must." In math, they should be careful not to overlook conditions such as "all real numbers," "natural numbers," and "distinct," which could lead to an incorrect solution.

Comparing answers with friends during breaks can be unsettling. It is important to focus on the exams still to come rather than the one that has already ended.

In the inquiry section, students must check the order in which they are taking their elective subjects. Students who have chosen two subjects must take them in the order listed on their application form. Answering questions for another subject during the designated time or changing answers for a subject whose exam has already ended constitutes cheating.

Meanwhile, electronic devices, including smart glasses, are prohibited at the CSAT exam venue. If a student is caught cheating, the exam will be invalidated, and depending on the type of violation,

In particular, students must check the order in which they are taking their elective subjects in the inquiry section. Students who have chosen two subjects must take them in the order listed on their application form. Answering questions for another subject during the designated time or changing answers for a subject whose exam has already ended constitutes cheating.

Meanwhile, electronic devices, including smart glasses, are prohibited at CSAT exam venues. Wearing smart glasses during the exam is considered use of the device, and students caught doing so will have their exam invalidated and be barred from taking next year's exam. In addition, planned and intentional cheating using smart glasses or similar devices may result not only in penalties such as invalidation of the exam but also in criminal punishment under relevant laws and regulations.

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