The English section of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which drew controversy as a "killer CSAT," received attention from British media. BBC and the daily Telegraph printed CSAT English questions and invited readers to try solving them.
On the 12th (local time), the BBC reported that "the English section of Suneung, Korea's grueling college entrance exam, is notorious." The BBC said some students liken the English test to "decoding ancient scripts" or describe it as "crazy."
The BBC printed in full question No. 34, on the legal philosophy of German philosopher Immanuel Kant, and question No. 39, which used video game terminology, as items cited as particularly difficult this year. It also shared reactions posted on the online community Reddit about No. 39, including "pretentious wordplay" and "terrible writing that fails to convey concepts or ideas properly."
The BBC said Korean test-takers must answer 45 questions in 70 minutes, and that the share of candidates who received the top grade in English this year fell to the 3% range from about 6% last year. It also explained that the CSAT, held every November, is an eight-hour exam that can affect not only college admission but also job prospects, income and relationships, influencing life overall.
The Telegraph, in an article titled "Can you pass Korea's 'crazy' college entrance English exam?", introduced CSAT English questions No. 34, 35 and 39. The Telegraph said CSAT English is known to be difficult even in normal years, but the level was especially high this year, leading some students to call it "crazy."
The Telegraph said the comment that received the most likes under the article was a satirical one: "This college entrance exam might explain why Korea has Samsung and the U.K. has Starmer (the current prime minister) and 'Strictly' (the entertainment show)." It added that reactions such as "This is similar to the type of questions on the Harvard Business School (HBS) entrance exam today" and "I think my native-language skills are pretty good, but I couldn't understand No. 39" also drew many likes.
The Guardian reported the resignation of Oh Seung-geol, president of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE), amid the controversy over the difficulty of the CSAT English section. The Guardian said the CSAT is considered essential for admission to prestigious universities and is seen as a gateway to higher social status, economic stability and even good marriages. It also relayed criticism that the overly competitive education system puts extreme pressure on students and is linked to teenage depression.
The Guardian added that the portmanteau "culturtainment," which appeared in question No. 24, fueled confusion, and that the scholar who coined the expression also acknowledged the question's abstruseness.