The South Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) begins today, with the highest number of test-takers in six years.

The University Scholastic Ability Test for the 2026 school year in South Korea will be simultaneously held in 85 exam zones across the country on November 13th at 8:40 AM, with over 550,000 people taking the exam. According to Yonhap News Agency, the exam will take place from 8:40 AM to 5:45 PM, with the subjects being Korean language, mathematics, English, Korean history and exploration, and a second foreign language or Chinese language, in that order. The exam will continue to follow the integrated format introduced in 2022, excluding extremely difficult questions. The results of this high school entrance exam will be announced on December 5th. It is reported that over 550,000 people will be taking the exam in South Korea this year, marking the highest number since 2019, and the competition for university admission is expected to be intense. Among the applicants, 67.1% are current students, 28.9% are re-taking the exam, and 4% fall into other categories. Yonhap News Agency analyzed that the increase in the number of test takers is due to the restoration of medical school admissions to their original size and the higher number of current students born in the "Year of the Golden Pig" in 2007 compared to previous years.