EBS, entrance exam company, “‘Water Korean’ is slightly more difficult than the September mock exam”
Math and English, confusion due to conflicting overall reviews… “Calculus is difficult” consensus
If math is more difficult than Korean, the standard score will increase and the impact will be greater.
“Aiming at increasing the number of medical schools” because aesthetics is more difficult than math
(Seoul = Newsis) Reporter Hyosik Hong = On the afternoon of the 14th, after the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) ended, a notice regarding discounts for test takers was posted at a store located near Hongik University Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. 2024.11.14. (email protected)
(Sejong = Newsis) Kim Jeong-hyeon, Yangsori, Reporter Jeong Yoo-seon = This year’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is being assessed as being difficult in math calculus amidst the observation that Korean was easier than last year. Some say that they were targeting ‘N students’ who were aiming to increase the number of medical schools.
According to the analysis of current EBS instructors and the entrance examination industry on the 14th, the 2025 CSAT held on this day was somewhat easier in Korean and somewhat mixed in mathematics compared to last year, but many commented that the elective ‘Calculus’ was particularly difficult compared to the common subject problems.
EBS lecturer Yun Yun-gu, a teacher at Hanyang University College High School, said at a briefing on question trends held by the Sejong Ministry of Education this afternoon, “The Korean language and mathematics areas were similar to the September mock assessment,” and added, “There are some parts that may feel easy, but differentiated questions are presented by area. “I want to emphasize that we did it,” he said.
Kim Won-jung, head of Daesung Academy’s entrance strategy department, said, “Compared to last year’s CSAT, Korean and English were somewhat easier, and math was similar.” He added, “As Korean is easier, it is expected that the influence of math on entrance strategy will be relatively greater.” .
However, the Korean language was easy and the math was evaluated as slightly easier than last year’s CSAT, and there was also an analysis that the test was not enough to secure the top ranking that some medical schools aim for.
Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongno Academy, said, “It is to the extent that there are significant problems in securing competitiveness for the top medical school applicants.” He added, “There are many tied scores among students in the 1st grade section in Korean and math, so it may be difficult to secure competitiveness even if you get a perfect score.” .
EBS and entrance exam companies “‘Water Korean’ is slightly more difficult than the September mock test”
The Korean language test is likely to be close to the mock test conducted last September, which was the easiest since the 2022 school year when the current CSAT system was introduced. The September test had a ‘highest standard score’, a measure of perceived difficulty, of 129 points, making it the easiest test since September of the 2022 school year (127 points).
This was an evaluation by EBS instructors, Mega Study, Etoos Edu, etc. on this day.
EBS instructor Han Byeong-hun, a teacher at Cheonan Jungang High School, said, “Compared to the mock evaluations in June and September of this year, I think the questions were easier than the mock evaluations in June and were closer to those in September.” Nam Yoon-gon, director of Megastudy Education’s Entrance Strategy Research Institute, also analyzed, “The questions were easier than last year’s CSAT and at a similar level to last September’s mock evaluation.”
The highest standard scores for last year’s CSAT and June’s mock evaluation were 150 and 148, respectively. Last year’s CSAT was the most difficult since the current CSAT system, and this year’s June test was just as difficult.
Although there are evaluations with slightly different forecasts, such as Uway Educational Evaluation Institute (slightly easier than the mock evaluation in June) and Jongro Academy (slightly easier than last year’s CSAT), they were evaluated as having more differentiation than September.
Lee Man-gi, vice president and director of Uway Educational Evaluation Research Institute, said, “You may have difficulty with some questions, such as (common subject) number 7, so it doesn’t feel that easy.” Instructors in the Korean language section at Jongno Academy pointed out that the questions dealing with medieval Korean language and Korean grammar in numbers 35 to 37, the first chapter of ‘Language and Media’, were relatively difficult.
(Cheongju = Newsis) Reporter Seo Ju-young = Students who completed the test are leaving the test site at Ilshin Girls’ High School in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, where the 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) was held on the 14th. 2024.11.14. (email protected)
In this way, even though it was closer to ‘plain’ than ‘tricky’, there were some questions that included new material that was not in the EBS textbook or placed so-called ‘attractive essays’.
Math with mixed difficulty levels… “Calculus is somewhat difficult”
In mathematics, EBS instructors and experts gave mixed observations.
The Yuway Educational Evaluation Institute pointed out that it is a very difficult test. Director Lee said, “Overall, the questions were at a similar level to last year’s CSAT and were somewhat easier than those in June.”
On the other hand, Jongno Academy predicted, “It was somewhat easier than last year’s CSAT, but the basic discriminatory ability was maintained.” However, he pointed out that “the ability to distinguish top rankings, such as medical schools, has decreased somewhat.”
However, EBS instructor Shim Ju-seok, a teacher at Incheon Haneul High School, said, “It was a little closer to the September mock evaluation.” He added, “The September test had easy common subjects, while the CSAT fine-tuned 1-2 questions from the common questions to give the top and top ranks. “You can even differentiate,” he explained.
Last year’s highest standard score for CSAT math was 148 points, the highest among the CSAT main exams since the 2022 school year. The mock evaluation in June was the most difficult under the current system, with an even higher score of 152 points. The mock evaluation in September was the easiest, with a significant drop to 136 points.
Even experts were unable to determine the overall perceived difficulty level.
However, the entrance exam industry said that the elective subject ‘Calculus’ “appears to be more difficult” than last year’s CSAT (Mega Study Education) and “is similar or somewhat difficult” (Jongno Academy, Yuway).
Director Lee said, “Probability, statistics, and geometry were similar to last year, but calculus was somewhat difficult,” and “the difference in standard scores between probability and statistics (mainly taken by liberal arts aspirants) and calculus (taken by science students) is likely to increase.” The story is that the test preparation center was trying to reduce the number of tied scores among the top test takers who took ‘Calculus’ in order to increase the number of medical schools.
Is there a difference in English? “It’s easier than last year’s CSAT”… Pay attention to tentative scoring
EBS instructors believed that English level 1, which is an absolute evaluation, would be formed between last year’s CSAT (4.7%) and this September’s mock evaluation (10.94%). Kim Ye-ryeong, a teacher at Daewon Foreign Language High School, said, “There were many questions that required a little more time than in September.”
(Seoul = Newsis) Reporter Kim Myeong-nyeon = Students who completed the College Scholastic Ability Test at Gyeongbok High School in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 14th are leaving the examination room. 2024.11.14. (email protected)
On the other hand, Jongno Academy gave a completely different analysis, saying, “Compared to last year’s CSAT, the questions were similar,” and “Overall, the questions were difficult to understand the content of the text.”
Of course, with the exception of Jongno Academy, most companies such as Mega Study Education, Etoos Edu, and Daesung Academy predicted that “it will be easier than last year’s CSAT,” but the gap between last year’s CSAT and September’s mock test difficulty level is so large that a clear outlook is not possible. am.
If Korean is easy and math is difficult, the standard score that increases as the difficulty is mainly used in the regular admissions process, so how well you do in math will likely be the key to deciding whether you are successful or not.
However, some say that it is too early to conclude that ‘Calculus’ has secured a top ranking just because it was difficult, so it seems that it will not be easy for test takers to come up with a strategy.
Some say that it is difficult to overlook how wide the standard score gap in elective subjects in the area of inquiry will be due to the ‘Satam Run’ phenomenon.
(Seoul = Newsis) The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on the 14th was the first test after the expansion of medical schools, and as the number of ‘N students’ was the largest, it was difficult to present questions with ‘appropriate discrimination power for the top students’. Entrance exam experts observed that the CSAT test would have been at a more difficult level than the September mock test. However, considering the increase in the number of medical schools and the rapid increase in the number of N students, some predicted that it would be as difficult as June. (Graphics = Reporter Ahn Ji-hye) (email protected)
After the CSAT ends on this day, test takers can raise objections to questions and answers on the Evaluation Institute’s website.
Following the controversy over the ‘private education cartel’ in which current teachers and the industry bought and sold predicted problems, the Evaluation Institute is also examining whether there is a connection between CSAT problems and private education problems starting with the mock evaluation in June of this year.
Objections will be accepted for five days until the afternoon of the 18th.
Immediately thereafter, an objection examination is conducted, and the Evaluation Institute announces the examination results on the afternoon of the 26th and confirms the correct answers for the CSAT.
Test takers can receive their score reports on the 6th of next month.
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Source: www.newsis.com
