The Effect of Disqualification of Scholastic Aptitude Test by Rounding Off Is Stopped

There was a court`s decision that there was a possibility of unfair action to select successful candidates with rounding off points of the Scholastic Aptitude Test at the Seoul University regular registration, so it stopped the effect of disqualification.

The 4th Administration Division of the Seoul Court of Administrative Litigation (Head Judge, Cho, Byung-Hyun) announced on the 12th about the request of stopping the effect of disqualification submitted by Miss Lee (18), who was disqualified at the 1st test after applying the Seoul University Arts and Physical Fitness division, “We decided to stop the effect of disqualification for Miss Lee until the judgment.”

The court explained, “While there is not a little possibility of judgment that the action of disqualification is not right, so we accepted the request by Miss Lee to prevent her chance to take the 2nd test was wrongfully deprived.”

Therefore, Miss Lee can take the 2nd level talent examination for the Seoul University Arts and Physical Fitness division held on 13th through 14th for the time being, and the possibility of similar law suits being filed by the applicants of 25 colleges, which used full number points, got larger.

Miss Lee, at the Seoul University Arts and Physical Fitness division entrance exam, which reflects 3 areas of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, received 88.2 for Language, 61.0 for Social Study, and 68.0 for Foreign Language, so she got a total of 217.2.

A co-applicant Miss A received 91.6 for Language, 54.5 for Social Study, 70.5 for Foreign Language, and total of 216.6, and Mr. B received 88.2 for Language, 57.5 for Social Study, 71.0 for Foreign Language, and total of 216.7.

However, the Korean Educational Process Evaluation Institute, under the guideline of providing rounding off points, reported Miss Lee`s points as 88 for Language, 61 for Social Study, 68 for Foreign Language, and total of 217.

Miss A, with a same method, got 92 for Language, 55 for Social Study, 71 for Foreign Language, and total of 218, and Mr. B got 88 for Language, 58 for Social Study, 71 for Foreign Language, and total of 217.

Miss Lee filed the lawsuit because Miss A got 1.4 more points with the help of rounding off and passed, and Mr. B also got 0.3 more points and became 217 points like herself, but according to the tie-breaking guideline, Mr. B passed, and she failed.

In response to this, the Seoul University announced, “Since there is a court`s decision, we will let Miss Lee to take the 2nd test,” and “however, the social reaction might be serious, we will watch closely until the court`s final decision and prepare the countermeasure.”

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources also announced, “The court`s decision does not mean that the disqualification is wrongful, but gives her chance to take the 2nd test,” and “since the entrance exams are in progress, we will make the improvement plan of managing the Scholastic Aptitude Test record after this year`s entrance exams are over.”

Jin-Kyun Kil leon@donga.com