Students Can Choose Test Subjects of CSAT

Starting from the year 2005, college aspirants will be able to freely choose which test subjects (according to the 7th education program) to take in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). The changed system will affect students who are currently in their third year of middle school.

Although the vocational test will be added to the current social science area and natural science area in consideration of students attending vocational high school, individual student needs to take only one area when she or he takes the CSAT.

The CSAT will continue to be administered only once annually at the end of each year. and the general rank system based on the total score will be abolished. Instead, ranks in each area and by each selected test will be provided, and standard score by each area will be provided.

Although the new system allows students a wider range of test subject choices, negative side effect is also anticipated. For instance, students may concentrate on studying particular subjects that are related to the test.

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources announced yesterday the package of `revision plans for the year 2005 CSAT`, which complements the current system based on five tentative plans proposed by the research committee on the revision of the CSAT in October.

The details of the new system, such as the type, number and distribution of marks of the exam questions will be announced in 2003, and each college should announce the list of entrance requirements, such as test area and the importance of each area in each department by next year.

According to the new system, five areas, such as Korean language, mathematics, English, social science and natural science, will be maintained. The vocational area will be added in order to enable students attending vocational high school to apply for the college, and the second foreign language will be changed to the `second foreign language and Chinese character`.

At present, students are required to take all five areas with only the second foreign language test being optional. Under the new system, students can choose which test to take in accordance with colleges or departments they wish to enter.

Following the 7th education program, the exam questions will be primarily made from the `selected subject` which students take in the second and third year in high school. The `general education program`, which students learn until the first year in high school, will be indirectly reflected in the exam questions.

Although the exam questions regarding Korean language and foreign languages will continue to be made integrally, the questions on mathematics area will be divided into `A`, which includes mathematics I and II, and `B`, which tests only mathematics I.

Students can choose 4 subjects out of 11 in social science area, 4 out of 8 in natural science area, and 3 out of 17 in the vocational area. Students can choose one out of 8 subjects in `foreign languages and Chinese character area`, to which Arabic and Chinese character will be added.

inchul@donga.com