South Korea’s national college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, was first held in August 1994 as part of a two-test system before becoming an annual exam. The change aimed to move away from memorization-based tests and instead measure logical thinking and understanding.
Before the introduction of Suneung, students initially took a separate entrance exam, consisting of a preliminary and final exam. This was then replaced with an academic ability test called the haknyeokgosa. However, both had problems, such as heavy study loads and a focus on memorizing facts. To improve fairness, education officials studied the American college entrance exam, the SAT, and prepared the new system for years before launching it.
The first Suneung was held twice in 1994. But because the difficulty varied greatly between the two sessions, the system was changed in 1995 to a single annual test in November. Over time, the test has undergone several updates, including changes to the scoring system and subject choices.
Today, the Suneung is seen as the culmination of 12 years of schooling, and students, families, and teachers pay close attention to it each year.
J.K. Park Senior Reporter junior/1768815094/1613367831
1. When was the national Suneung entrance exam first held?
2. What was the goal of introducing the new annual test?
3. Why did officials study the SAT to improve the system?
4. How has the test system changed since the first session?
1. Do you often feel a lot of pressure from exams?
2. Is it better to test logic or memory skills?
3. Why is the Suneung exam so important in Korean society?
4. How would you change the university entrance exam?
South Korea’s national college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, was first held in August 1994 as part of a two-test system before becoming an annual exam. The change aimed to move away from memorization-based tests and instead measure logical thinking and understanding.
