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| ▲ Students hit the books at a private cram school in downtown Seoul on Nov. 5, 2023, ahead of the annual College Scholastic Ability Test slated for Nov. 16. (Yonhap) |
CSAT-COVID patients
COVID-19 patients not to be separated in CSAT exam rooms
SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- Coronavirus-related quarantine rules will be drastically eased for this year's college entrance exam takers, the education authorities said Tuesday, ahead of the annual College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) slated for Nov. 16.
Under the new rules, confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients will be allowed to take the test in the same exam room as other test takers, though wearing a mask is strongly recommended to prevent the spread of the virus, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.
The authorities also recommend the use of separate space for eating lunch.
In previous years, those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 symptoms were completely separated from other CSAT applicants.
The authorities will also do away with temporary partitions previously used for test takers during lunch hours, the office said.
The CSAT, held on the third Thursday of November every year, is one of the nation's most important academic events, as it is the culmination of years of hard work for many students anxious to enter top universities.
In Seoul, the number of CSAT applicants increased by 658 to 107,423 this year. The number of high school graduates taking the CSAT showed particular growth, largely because of the government's decision to eliminate extremely difficult questions from the exam.
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