In front of the main gate of Yeouido Girls' High School in Seoul on the 13th. Around 7:45 a.m., four members of a cheering squad shouted, "Fighting!" "Don't be nervous!" behind Kim Min-chae, 33, who was taking the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). They are fans from the same idol group, NCT Wish, fan club. The cheering squad said they took a day off from school and work to gather in front of the test site. Lee So-yeon, 27, who came to cheer, noted that Kim's fortune said a "second daughter" would be good luck, so she even brought her younger sister.

Kim said, "I came to take the CSAT because I want to go to an oriental medicine college after doing other work originally," and added, "Thank you for taking the time to come cheer me on. I'll do well."

On the morning of the 13th, in front of the main gate of Yeouido Girls' High School in Seoul, supporters cheer on test-takers as the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test takes place. /Courtesy of Reporter Hwang Chae-young

The 2026 academic year CSAT began simultaneously on this day at 85 testing districts and 1,310 testing sites nationwide. Test takers entered their assigned rooms by 8:10 a.m. Starting with the Korean section at 8:40 a.m., the exams continue until 5:45 p.m., when the second foreign language/classical Chinese section ends.

Students and parents kept heading toward the school gate of the test sites. They double-checked whether all supplies were packed and hugged them, telling them not to be nervous. In front of Banpo High School, the mother of a test taker prayed behind her child heading to the exam room, then wiped away tears. She said, "My child's stomach wasn't feeling well, so I packed a lunch with food that's easy on the stomach since the morning."

On the morning of the 13th, in front of Kyungbock High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, a test-taker heads to the test site with encouragement from her mother on the day of the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test. /Courtesy of News1
On the morning of the 13th, near the main gate of Banpo High School in Seoul, supporters cheer on test-takers as the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test takes place. /Courtesy of Reporter Lim Hee-jae

Many also gathered to cheer. In front of Gyeongbok High School in Seoul, a person surnamed Hwang, 36, stood with a friend visiting from Canada holding a sketchbook with phrases such as "Big success on the CSAT." They said it was to let the friend experience Korean culture.

Hwang said, "My much younger sister is a test taker this year, so I dropped her off and came to Gyeongbok High School, where I took the CSAT 17 years ago," adding, "Back then I was cheered on, and this time I thought I wanted to do it the other way around."

Eleven first- and second-year students from Jungdong High School took their spots in front of Banpo High School from 6:40 a.m. They said they woke up at 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., respectively, and left home. Kim In-jun, 17, who came to cheer, said, "I hope my senior does well on the CSAT and gets all the questions they know right."

Seo Yu-geon, 12, who attends Seowon Elementary School, came out to cheer in front of Banpo High School with friends for the third year. He said it took five hours to make the cheering placards, so he couldn't sleep until dawn.

On the morning of the 13th, in front of Yeouido Girls' High School in Seoul, a test-taker who arrived in a police car gets out as the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test takes place. /Courtesy of Reporter Hwang Chae-young

This year there are 554,174 applicants for the CSAT. It is the most since 2019. The reason is that those born in 2007, the "year of the golden pig," when the birthrate was high, are now in their third year of high school and taking the CSAT.

Some parents worried that the college entrance competition rate would be high because there are many test takers. A person surnamed Kang, in their 50s, whom we met in front of Yeouido Girls' High School, said, "Including repeat takers, I heard it's the largest number in seven years," and added, "I should have avoided giving birth in the year of the golden pig." Next to them, another parent said, "There are so many kids that the competition rate will probably just be high."

As the entry time approached, it got busy in front of the test site. In front of Yeouido Girls' High School in Seoul, around 8:05 a.m., a community crime-prevention vehicle arrived carrying one test taker.

Then, one minute before entry time, an SUV also dropped off a test taker. It was a vehicle operated to support transporting test takers by the Korea Auto-Repair Cooperative Association Federation (KARPOS). An Myeong-ryeol, 62, said, "I usually work in Gwanak District, but a student who got on at Mullae Station asked to go to Yeouido Girls' High School, so I rushed over," adding, "I was nervous about being late, but thankfully we made it."

There was no "CSAT cold wave." As of 7 a.m. that day in Seoul, the temperature was 7 degrees, 2 degrees higher than the same time the previous day. It was near the seasonal average. The nationwide afternoon high was forecast at 14 to 21 degrees.

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.