Lim Tae-hee, superintendent of Gyeonggi Province, proposed a reform plan for college entrance exams – 매일경제

Lim Tae-hee, superintendent of Gyeonggi Province, proposed a reform plan for college entrance exams that calls for converting the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) into a five-step absolute evaluation from 2032, effectively turning it into a qualification test and integrating selection of occasional and regular admission. The proposal also included the introduction of essay-type evaluation in the College Scholastic Ability Test, the abolition of the relative evaluation of school records, and measures to adjust the timing of college admission.

Superintendent Lim held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on the 21st and said, “It is urgent to reform the university entrance system to restore the essence of education,” adding, “We will discuss with the National Council of Superintendents of Education, the Korea University Education Council, and the National Board of Education so that the final plan for college admission for the 2032 school year is finalized by the end of this year.”

Superintendent Lim proposed a plan to switch to a five-stage absolute evaluation from the 2032 school year, believing that the CSAT induces excessive competition and private education. Currently, the absolute evaluation is applied only to English, and other subjects are operated under a nine-grade relative evaluation system. In addition, a plan to add an essay-type evaluation in the CSAT and abolish the CSAT English listening evaluation altogether was included in the reorganization plan. “In order to evaluate self-directed thinking, it is absolutely necessary to introduce a written and essay-type evaluation,” superintendent Lim said. “We propose to abolish the English listening evaluation completely in consideration of social costs, such as aircraft taking off and landing being banned nationwide.”

Like the College Scholastic Ability Test, it was proposed to expand the essay-type evaluation by switching to the five-stage absolute evaluation instead of the relative evaluation. To this end, a plan was proposed to introduce a step-by-step essay evaluation from first-year middle school students in 2026. The school life record book (birthrate) announced that it will be improved in the form of a checklist to solve the problem of deviation depending on teacher or school competency.

For the college entrance examination, a plan to integrate and operate occasional and regular admission was proposed. The integrated screening comprehensively reflects the school record evaluation, the Ministry of Life, and the SAT scores. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education explained that it aims to simplify the selection process to increase the predictability of passing.

Superintendent Lim also suggested that the grades for the second semester of high school should be reflected in the school records. The plan is to advance the SAT exam to September to secure a scoring period for essay-type evaluation and to adjust the timing of college entrance examinations in the order of application by △Completion of the second semester’s internal evaluation by early November △Completion of the Ministry of Life in mid-November △Completion of application in mid-December. The reform plan for college admission, which was unveiled on the same day, was prepared by a special task force (TF) set up by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education in July last year with about 60 internal and external experts.

[Juyeon Reporter]