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The BIG DAY: the Korean College Entrance Exam

The BIG DAY: the Korean College Entrance Exam. By Peter Lee. What am I talking about?. Every year, in November, students in their 12th grade in high schools take a test called the 수능 or College Scholastic Ability Test in English This year it was November 13th. When Does the Test Start?.

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The BIG DAY: the Korean College Entrance Exam

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  1. The BIG DAY: the Korean College Entrance Exam By Peter Lee

  2. What am I talking about? • Every year, in November, students in their 12th grade in high schools take a test called the 수능 or College Scholastic Ability Test in English • This year it was November 13th

  3. When Does the Test Start? • The test starts at 9 AM • Ends at about 6 PM • 9 hours • Evening newspaper publishes questions/answers • Kids who don’t do well usually study for 1 more year

  4. Where Did This Test Take Place? • In thousands of high schools in Korea

  5. What’s so Special About that Day? • It’s a day basically reserved for the 590,000 high school seniors • Businesses/Stock Market opens one hour later • Other students don’t go to school • During listening, airplanes can’t leave/land in Korea • Korea Electric Power Corp. has 4,000 members to ensure that there isn’t a power shortage • Koreans want test to be fair • The 400 teachers who make test are isolated for weeks • Surrounded by police • No TV/Internet/monitored phone calls

  6. Hype Before the Test • Newspapers/TV shows publish which foods are good for increasing concentration and boosting memory • For example, seaweed soup (미역국) is considered by some TV shows bad • There are business for this day • All they do is give parents tips • Many religious parents (Christian/Buddhist) go to temples • Pray for countless hours

  7. Why Is The Test Important? • >80% of high school seniors plan to go to college • This test could influence salary 30 years later • Has become less important over the years • Gvmt./Education officials want it to be more Western • Social importance • Many people don’t think college is important, but can’t fight social pressure • It’s a objective and fair way to see who studied more • Opportunity for everyone of all social statuses to rise

  8. How Does It Make Me Feel? • Sad • Study countless hours, pay thousands of dollars for one day • Rote memorization isn’t life • Many Koreans get into Ivy Leagues, but many have highest dropout rate • Even though Korea boasts some of the best students, they are criticized • Don’t have creativity, critical thinking, and comprehensive understanding of a subject • Also criticized for having less maturity • Many students commit suicide when test results come out • Korea has #1 suicide rate (24/100,000 people) in the OECD

  9. Citations • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Scholastic_Ability_Test • http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122644964013219173.html?mod=googlenews_wsj • http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2008/november/South-Korea-Holds-its-Breath-As-Students-Take-Entrance-Exam.html • http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/11/181_30122.html • http://blogs.newamericamedia.org/nam-round-table/1390/s-korea-a-republic-of-suicide • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oecd • http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=390145 • http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-08/2008-08-21-voa42.cfm • http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/52955/Cram-School-Confidential:-Korean-Students-Becoming-Worlds-Best • http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/news/top(57).jpg • http://cache.gettyimages.com/xc/51750146.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193CC300C081D9F4700403EB205DAC68BE023DF6925564C0726A55A1E4F32AD3138 • http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNKorean_Images07/brown-seaweed-soup-070630.jpg

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