Analysis of provisional marking data for College Scholastic Aptitude Test: Korean and math were ”easy,” while social studies were ”difficult” (Korea)

It has been revealed that the number of questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less in the Korean and mathematics sections of the 2025 College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) has nearly halved from last year.
It was analyzed that the number of questions has increased from last year. On the 19th, MegaStudy Education estimated the correct answer rate for the final exam questions based on 840,000 marking service data from the afternoon of the 14th to the morning of the 18th.
In the Japanese and mathematics sections, 17 questions had a correct answer rate of 50% or less. Considering that there were 29 questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less in the 2024 school year final exam held last year,
This is a decrease of about 41.4%. In the Japanese section, the number of questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less was estimated to have decreased by 76.9%, from 13 last year to 3 this year. In the mathematics section, the number of questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less was estimated to have decreased by 76.9%.
It was found that the number of questions decreased by 12.5% from 16 last year to 14 this year. This is interpreted as meaning that both the Japanese language and mathematics sections were easier than last year.
In fact, the highest standard score that falls the easier the test is, from 150 points for Korean and 148 points for mathematics in last year's final exam to 148 points for Korean this year.
The average score for questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less in the social science section is estimated to be 137 points for exams and 145 points for mathematics. On the other hand, the average score for questions with a correct answer rate of 50% or less in the social science section is estimated to be 26 points this year, up 62.5% from 16 questions last year.
The entrance exam industry believes that the discrimination ability in the Japanese and mathematics areas will decline, and that the social studies area will have a greater influence on university entrance exam results.
In particular, a considerable number of students who scored highly in the social inquiry section, which ensured discrimination, were students hoping to enter science and engineering schools.
It is speculated that this is a phenomenon in which students chose the less intense Social Studies course. Some universities now allow students to take the Social Studies exam, even in medical schools, and students who get a high score in Social Studies are accepted into medical schools.
It is expected that there will be a good number of students taking the exam. "In Korean and mathematics, we expect the number of students who get full marks to increase compared to last year, and we expect that students will have good discrimination skills," said Nam Yoon-gon, director of the MegaStudy Education Entrance Examination Strategy Research Institute.
"The score for the top-ranked universities, especially in the Seoul area, will depend on the score in the social studies field," he said. "In the case of regular admissions, the number of students admitted to medical schools will increase, and the number of students who can choose without a major will increase, so the top-ranked universities will be able to continue to expand," he said.
"There will be big changes to the pass mark. Test-takers will need to develop more thorough support strategies than ever before."