South Korea: Students flock to learn English after university entrance exams.

GD&TĐ - English scores in this year's South Korean university entrance exam have fallen to their lowest level since 2018.

This raises concerns about the effectiveness of the perfect-grade grading system and efforts to reduce reliance on private education .

In the 2025 South Korean college entrance exam, English scores hit a record low since 2018. Specifically, only 3.11% of test-takers achieved Level 1, equivalent to a score of 90 or higher, the lowest level since the exam switched to a full-score system in 2018.

This figure is far too low compared to the "appropriate" threshold set by the Ministry of Education, which is 7%. The drastic decline in results has created a major shock for students, parents, and educational institutions.

Part of the reason for the low scores stems from the fact that the exam contained many difficult questions, testing a level of "academic" knowledge that high school students would find hard to answer. This result is creating a negative effect, causing students to flock to private tutoring centers. Private tutoring academies, especially in Gwangju and the southern provinces, reported a sharp increase in demand for consultations immediately after the scores were released.

Representatives from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education frankly stated that the Korea Curriculum and Evaluation Institute (KICE) failed to control the difficulty of the exam, despite being tasked with assembling the best experts to develop the questions.

The concerns are even more apparent in areas outside Seoul where opportunities for further education are already limited. An official from the Gwangju Education Bureau pointed out that the goal of the perfect score system is to enable students to take university entrance exams based solely on public education.

However, the gap between urban and rural areas is widening. At one high school in South Jeolla Province, none of the 74 students achieved Level 1, putting many students at risk of not meeting the minimum score required for early admission.

In response to the wave of criticism, Oh Seung-geol, Director of the Korea Institute for Program and Evaluation (KICE), expressed "deep regret" that the test did not achieve the goal of standardized assessment according to the perfect score system. He pledged that KICE would adjust its direction for future tests to ensure that the percentage of Level 1 scorers remains within the 6-10% range, in line with the original policy objective.

Simultaneously, the South Korean Ministry of Education announced a comprehensive investigation into the KICE exam question-setting process, scheduled to begin in December. This is an annual assessment, but this time it is expected to delve into the reasons why KICE has been unable to maintain a consistent level of difficulty, as well as identify necessary improvements before the new admissions season.

However, experts emphasize that the problem lies not solely in the English test. Broader reforms to the examination system are becoming urgent. In the long term, many experts suggest expanding university admission criteria, reducing reliance on Suneung scores, and reflecting a more diverse range of academic achievements, social activities, and overall abilities of students.

An official from the Seoul Education Office in South Korea stated, "The nine-point grading system constantly draws students into a competitive environment. Our goal is to gradually expand the application of the absolute grading scale to other subjects to reduce pressure on students."

According to The Korea Herald

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