Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: South Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) also known as Suneung is considered as the world’s longest and one of the toughest university entrance exams. This year, around 550,000 students took the test which is the highest number in seven years, according to a BBC report. The exam is a gateway for admission to top universities and also plays a significant role in shaping a student’s future career, income and even social status.
While most competitive exams around the world allow breaks, Suneung demands students to stay in the exam hall for several hours without lunch or dinner breaks. The pressure is so intense that flight routes are changed, offices open late and even stock markets adjust their timings on exam day to ensure a quiet environment for students.
For most students, Suneung is an eight-hour marathon exam. It includes 200 questions covering Korean language, mathematics, English, social sciences or natural sciences, and one additional subject of the student’s choice. The test runs from 8:40 AM to 6:40 PM and no official meal breaks are provided during this time. Students can leave early if he or she finish before time.
Despite being just one day long, the exam determines admission into South Korea’s top universities which in turn influences job opportunities and future earnings.
Visually impaired students face an even more challenging situation. As per official rules, these candidates attempting the paper are given 1.7 times more time than general students. This means the exam lasts 12 hours, and in cases where an extra subject is taken, the duration goes up to 13 hours making it the longest university entrance exam in the world.
The extended duration is mainly because these students receive Braille test papers which are extremely bulky. Every sentence, symbol and question is printed in Braille, resulting in thick bundles that require more time to read and understand. Subjects like mathematics become difficult to interpret through Braille further stretching the test duration.
The most challenging part of Suneung is that it is completely non-stop with no lunch break, no dinner break and no relaxation period in between. For visually impaired students, the difficulty doubles as they must read heavy Braille booklets and solve complex questions for long hours without rest.
Many visually impaired students end up writing the exam late into the evening and despite being allowed to use assistive equipment with the physical and mental pressure remains extremely high.
