South Korea to Adjust Work Hours and Flights for College Entrance Exam

South Korea will adjust workplace schedules, public transportation, flights and military exercises on Nov. 19 to reduce disruption for the hundreds of thousands of people taking the country’s annual college entrance examination.

The College Scholastic Ability Test, widely known as Suneung, is scheduled to run from 8:40 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. at 1,312 testing centers nationwide. A total of 551,864 students and other applicants are due to sit for the exam, according to the Education Ministry.

Public institutions, including government offices, will be asked to have employees begin work after 10 a.m. Private companies will also be encouraged to adopt the delayed start. The measure is intended to ease morning congestion and help examinees arrive before testing begins.

Subway operators in the greater Seoul area will increase services between 6 a.m. and 8:10 a.m., covering the period when many test-takers will be traveling to their assigned centers. Emergency transport vehicles will also be deployed to assist candidates who encounter difficulties on the way.

The government will impose particularly strict noise controls during the English listening portion of the examination. Airplane and helicopter takeoffs and landings will be prohibited from 1:10 p.m. to 1:35 p.m., the scheduled listening-test period. Military drills involving artillery fire or the movement of tanks will also be suspended during that window.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the government would work with other branches to provide full support so that every examinee could demonstrate their abilities.

The nationwide measures reflect the exceptional importance attached to Suneung in South Korea. Performance on the standardized test is a major factor in university admissions, and the examination day routinely prompts coordination across government agencies, transport operators, employers and the military.

This year’s arrangements combine steps aimed at punctual arrival with controls designed to preserve quiet conditions inside exam rooms. Delaying the start of the workday is expected to reduce competition between commuters and test-takers, while additional trains and emergency vehicles are intended to provide alternatives if congestion or unexpected delays arise.

The temporary limits on aviation and military activity focus on the listening section, when outside noise could interfere with questions played to students. With testing spread across more than 1,300 locations, the plan requires synchronized action nationwide during a tightly defined 25-minute period.

The Education Ministry announced the plan one month before the exam, giving public agencies, businesses, transport providers and families time to prepare for the altered schedules.