CSAT takers will only be permitted to use analog watches

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced Wednesday the requirements and recommendations for test-takers of this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), scheduled on Nov. 17, which includes a new list of prohibited items at test-centers and an examination schedule.

According to guidelines written by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, the only type of watch CSAT-takers are allowed to wear is an analog watch with hands.

A digital watch that solely functions to tell time, which is more widely known as a ‘CSAT watch’ in Korea, will be prohibited beginning this year to prevent cheating. Test-takers are now required to undergo inspections of their personal belongings - failing to comply will be considered cheating.

Meanwhile, this year’s exam will last 40 minutes longer than usual, as Korean history became a compulsory CSAT subject this year.

The Korean history exam is scheduled during the fourth period, which begins at 2:50 p.m., and will last for 30 minutes. If test-takers fail to take the Korean history exam, all test results are subject to invalidation.

All students must take one or two subjects - previously selected from social studies, sciences and vocational education - and those taking only one will be required to wait with their exam papers turned over during the first half of the exam period while the remaining students, who selected two subjects, complete their first exam.

The number of this year’s CSAT test-takers is 132,257, down from 140,059 last year. Seoul’s education office organized 204 test-centers and allocated 2,797 supervisors.

BY PARK HYOUNG-SOO [kim.yuna1@joongang.co.kr]