Ink-bleeding pens used during CSAT leave some test-takers distressed
Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 20:47
![A student fills in answers on an OMR card. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/17/3e4f800a-790d-4e29-811f-87bee7530749.jpg)
A student fills in answers on an OMR card. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Some of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) takers are reporting cases of ink smearing from the marker pens used, claiming it affected their ability to complete the exam.
More than 30 complaints had been posted on the CSAT question-and-answer objection board regarding ink-bleeding issues with the pens, as of 3 p.m. Monday.
One student in Seoul wrote that when they attempted to mark unanswered questions with about three minutes left in the first-period Korean exam, the marker pen "released an excessive amount of ink, which spread outside the circles.” The student said they used correction tape and re-marked the answers but lost precious time and felt distressed.
Another student reported that “ink smearing occurred during the final markings with one minute left in the Korean exam,” adding, “Korean is the most important subject for me. Because of this functional issue, I may now be further from the university I hoped to attend. Please take proper action.”
Some students said proctors replaced defective pens or allowed them to use correction tape in front of the supervising staff to fix smeared marks.
The Education Ministry acknowledged Monday that “the ink-smearing issue occurred in products from a specific manufacturer,” but added that it could not disclose the region or company because “the issue did not occur in all areas that used that manufacturer’s pens.”
The ministry said it would work with the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation to ensure that “no student is disadvantaged during grading due to this issue.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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