Grueling South Korean English exam

South Korea exam chief quits over 'insane' English test | BBC New (12/12/25)

AntC remarks:

That example question read out in the first few minutes made no sense to me, at first hearing. (I suppose in a written exam you’re allowed to pore over it.)

BBC News observes:

The English section of South Korea's gruelling college entrance exam, or Suneung, is notoriously difficult, with some students comparing it to deciphering an ancient script, and others calling it "insane". But, the criticism around this year's test was so intense that the top official in charge of administering it resigned to take responsibility for the "chaos" it caused. "We sincerely accept the criticism that the difficulty of questions… was inappropriate," said Suneung chief Oh Seung-geol, adding that the test "fell short" despite having gone through several rounds of editing. Among the most daunting questions are one on Immanuel Kant's philosophy of law and another involving gaming jargon.

I wonder what Language Log readers and South Korean academics make of it.

 

Selected readings

• "I.SEOUL.U" (11/15/)
• "K-pop English" (11/17/15)