What Is Suneung? Inside South Korea's College Entrance Exam Culture
What Is Suneung? Inside South Korea's College Entrance Exam Culture Understand Suneung, South Korea's national college entrance exam, how it fits university admissions, and why exam day affects the whole country. Test-takers leave a Korean high school after completing part of the national college entrance exam. Photo: Goryeo , CC BY 4.0 . Suneung is the everyday name for South Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test, or CSAT. It is a high-stakes national exam, but it is not the only thing universities consider. School records, essays, interviews and special admissions routes can also matter. What makes Suneung unusual to outsiders is its public visibility. Traffic measures, workplace schedules and even aircraft operations around the listening test have made exam day a national event rather than a private school matter. The short answer Suneung is a standardized national exam used in Korean university admissions. Its importance varies...