S. Korea prepares for college admission test

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- Cities across the country prepared noise and traffic
control measures on Wednesday in preparation for a state-administered college
admission test that will be conducted for more than 588,000 high school students
nationwide.
A total of 588,282 students will take the College Scholastic Ability Test in
nearly 1,000 test centers across the country on Thursday, according to the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The number of applicants has
slightly increased, compared to 584,934 the previous year.
Government workers and employees of state-run firms will be allowed to arrive at
work by 10 a.m. on test day, one hour later than usual to avoid traffic
congestion that could otherwise cause students to be late for the test.
Subways and buses will also increase operations between 6 and 10 in the morning,
while private taxes will be exempt from normal restrictions on when they are
allowed to operate, transport authorities said.
Strict noise control measures will be in place in and around Korean and U.S.
military bases, said the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military suspended firearms
and mobilization training on test day, and military jets will be barred from
taking off or landing during the first and third sections of the examination, in
which students take listening tests for Korean and English. Those who inevitably
have to fly in the vicinity of test venues will be required to maintain their
flight altitude above 3 kilometers, the military said.
Students will arrive at their respective test venues by 8:10 a.m. The
five-section test, administered by the Korea Institute of Curriculum and
Examination, is comprised of Korean language, math, English, social
studies/sciences/vocational education and finally foreign languages or Chinese
characters. Students will be notified of test results by Dec. 10.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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