Planes to be grounded, businesses to open late as students take college entrance exam

Planes will be grounded and office hours will be delayed as some 520,000 test-takers sit for the College Scholastic Ability Test on Thursday.

A student prepares for the College Scholastic Ability Test at a high school in Incheon on Wednesday, the day before the exam. [YONHAP]

Planes will be grounded and office hours will be delayed as some 520,000 test-takers sit for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on Thursday.

The CSAT, also known as suneung, is an annual state-administered exam that determines colleges for test-takers in Korea.

This year, a total of 522,670 students are registered to take the CSAT, up by 18,082 from last year.

The number of repeat test-takers this year, particularly high school graduates, marks the highest since 2004, totaling 161,784. The surge is primarily attributed to an increased quota for medical school admissions next year.

The exam will run from 8:40 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., with examinees required to arrive at their testing sites by 8:10 a.m. sharp.

For test-takers with severe visual impairments, the exam will conclude later at 9:48 p.m.

During Thursday's exam, the government has pledged to control the noise around the 1,282 test sites nationwide, advising transport unions to ensure buses and trains operate quietly.

Local governments will also halt construction near test venues and minimize noise from nearby events.

Students taking the College Scholastic Ability Test check their exam venues at a high school in Jeju on Wednesday, the day before the exam. [YONHAP]

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, planes will be prohibited from taking off and landing during the English listening section of the exam.

During the 35-minute listening session, from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m., all flights except emergency ones will be grounded, while planes already in the air must maintain an altitude of at least 3 kilometers (9,842 feet).

Flight schedules for 156 flights — 58 international and 98 domestic — will be adjusted. Airlines will notify passengers of the changes in advance.

Military drills that generate noise, such as tank maneuvers, will also be temporarily suspended.

In Seoul, 31 additional subway trains will operate between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., extending the usual peak hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. to help ensure test-takers arrive on time.

Bus services will run more frequently from 6 a.m. to 8:10 a.m. and again from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Approximately 2,300 public officials and volunteers, along with police, will be stationed near exam sites to assist test-takers.

Around 670 cars will be on standby near subway stations and bus stops to transport latecomers.

In Seongnam, Gyeonggi, some 500 taxis will offer free rides to test-takers between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. In Daejeon, students will be able to take the subway for free on Thursday by showing their exam identification slip.

To accommodate the CSAT, office workers and public officials will start their workday an hour later.

The government earlier advised companies and public institutions to delay start times to later than 10 a.m., allowing test-takers smoother access to exam sites in the morning.

Banks will also operate on a delayed schedule, opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of the usual 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students taking the College Scholastic Ability Test smile while holding their exam identification slips at a high school in Daegu on Wednesday, the day before the exam. [YONHAP]

As the nation prepares for the big exam day, President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday extended his best wishes to all CSAT participants.

“Dear test-takers, you have worked so hard preparing for this exam,” Yoon wrote on his Facebook account.

“Stay calm, trust in yourselves and showcase all the skills you have developed.

“We are cheering for all of you across the country.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]