What are some of the world’s most difficult exams?

When the phrase, “Rankings of the World’s Most Difficult Exam,” is entered into Google’s search engine, China’s Gaokao Exam—though not as well known—is consistently ranked on top. 

Next to the Gaokao is the MCAT, which is the qualifying exam for aspiring medical students. This exam takes the cake with a droning 7 hours and 30 minutes, including breaks. 

In South Korea, there is the Suneung Exam, also known as the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). This 8-9 hour exam is known to be the first and most important goal in a Korean’s life. 

This exam determines whether a student qualifies for college or not. To put this into perspective, the CSAT is comparable to the SAT in the U.S., but is three times longer, and holds three times as much weight.

A History Lesson: The Suneung’s Origins

On August 15th, 1945, South Korea was liberated from Japanese occupation, aperiod filled with arduous labor and tiring discrimination. Due to the nation’s attempt of reconstruction after the war, the education system also began to reshape and reform significantly. 

Research eventually began in the late 1980s to formulate what is now known as the Suneung. The Suneung was originally modeled after the American SAT but has since become significantly more difficult. The English name of the Suneung, as mentioned, is the CSAT. 

In 1989, the Ministry of Education began to promote a nation-wide entrance exam system. In the same year, the University Education Council announced that they would be following through with the Ministry’s proposal. The Central Institute for Education and Evaluation (now known as the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation [KICE]) offered to supervise the aptitude test, and proposed a multiple choice question form. They claimed that the exam would be a compromise between the IQ test and the existing academic test questions. 

From 1990 to 1992, seven college scholastic ability test ‘experimental evaluations’ were conducted in Korea. Unlike other previous Korean college entrance exams, the CSAT went through a thorough and repetitive development process. 

On April 28th, 1990, after many public hearings and advisory meetings, opinions were collected and an improvement plan was finally announced. At first met with controversy, the Suneung was incredibly well received, and eventually became a well respected exam. Finally, in 1994, the Suneung was introduced to replace the previous college entrance exam. Prior to this monumental moment, colleges conducted their own entrance exams, which, as one can infer, must have been incredibly tiring for the students. In creating one exam for entrance to all Korean schools, The Ministry of Education made a good call for the future of all students in South Korea. 

Dividing Time: How is the Suneung Conducted Time-wise?

Since 2006, the Suneung has been annually administered on the third Thursday of November. 

In order to take the exam, students must be passed 10 + 2 from a reputed central board. In other words, students must have completed their 12th grade education, which is equivalent to high school graduation. 10 + 2 refers to the education system structure: two additional years of secondary education are added to ten years of schooling. The reputed central boards students must be approved by, but are not limited to, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), as well as the International Baccalaureate (IB). For the most part, approval from any government-recognized education board will allow students to take the CSAT. Students must additionally take the subject classes they will be tested on at their high school. 

As previously mentioned, the Suneung is eight to nine hours long and divided into five sections: Korean language, mathematics, English, social studies/science, and a second foreign language, or Chinese characters. 

During the reign of Sejong the Great, the former King of Joseon (Korea’s previous namesake), Sejong developed Korea’s written language, Hangul. Before this, Chinese characters were used by Koreans as the main form of written communication. However, these characters have lost their value as a means of written communication in the modern day. This is evidence of the difficulty of the Suneung, as students are required to study an ancient, complex language. Luckily for students, the second foreign language section is optional. Regardless, most students will take the opportunity to take this section as it provides additional points if the students excel in the examination. 

The Korean language section is rumored to be the most difficult portion of the exam. It includes speech, writing, grammar, reading, and literature. Not only are students expected to have reading comprehension skills that require some sort of street smarts, they are also required to have knowledge of complex sentence structures, weaving in the proper words together, and mastery over tricky vocabulary words. 

The mathematics section of the Suneung is divided into two forms of examinations, Type Ga and Na (also referred to as type A and B). Type Ga is customized for students learning natural sciences, while Type Na is tailored towards students studying humanities. Most students, however, will orient towards type Ga since the majority of this form’s material is made up from what they learned in high school. 

The Social Studies exam requires students to choose four subjects out of a list of eleven. These subjects can be history, geography, economics, and civics. Each subject has a total of twenty questions, including six  short answer questions and fourteen multiple choice. In total, the social studies exam takes a total of 120 minutes (30 minutes per subject). 

The same process applies for the science section of the exam. There are a total of eight different science subjects to choose from, out of which students will be required to choose two. The subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science—all of which are offered at different levels, such as I and II. 

Students spend months, if not years, preparing for the Suneung, often attending hagwons (private cram schools) to supplement their education. These institutions offer intensive tutoring and practice exams, with some operating late into the night. 

When the day of the Suneung arrives, the whole nation is put on pause to accommodate test-takers. In fact, even bus drivers, police cars, and other vehicles will clear the road in order to provide a clear path for the students to arrive at their testing room as quickly as possible. If students are running late, they can dial the numbers 112 or 119 in order to get rapid transportation, as there are over 3,000 police cars and 200 fire trucks on standby on the day of the CSAT. Banks and most companies will open late on CSAT day to avoid traffic jams. Flights, and even military training for guns, are also put on hold during this day to ensure that students give their undivided attention to the English listening comprehension test. 

The day starts early for students taking the CSAT, as they are required to enter the exam room by 8:10 a.m. Before they leave the house, Korean parents will prepare the lunch that the students will eat carefully from 12:10 to 1:00 p.m., a time filled with silence and anxiety for the next section of the examination. 

Even the lunch that they prepare is important. Students will avoid eating Miyeok-guk, or seaweed soup, given a superstition that the soup’s slippery substance will cause the students to “slip” and fail the examination. Instead, students settle for ‘sticky’ foods, such as Yeot (traditional Korean candy) or Chapssal-tteok (Korean rice cakes), so that they can ‘stick’ to the university of their choice. 

For reference, attached below is a time table of the Suneung. 

Cultural Importance in South Korea

The Suneung is more than just an academic assessment. It is a pivotal milestone in South Korean society. Scoring well on the exam can secure admission to prestigious universities such as Seoul National University, Korea University, or Yonsei University—often referred to as the SKY universities. These institutions serve as gateways to desirable careers in government, business, and medicine. 

The pressure to excel on the Suneung permeates family dynamics, with parents investing heavily in their children’s education from an early age. According to recent reports, South Korean families collectively spend billions of dollars on private education each year, reflecting the deep-rooted belief that academic success is a critical determinant of future prosperity.

The exam’s outcome can influence not only a student’s academic trajectory but also their social status, marriage prospects, and future quality of life. This cultural reverence for academic achievement stems from Confucian values that emphasize education as a pathway to success and social mobility. Success on the Suneung is often seen as a source of familial pride, with entire communities rallying around top-performing students. 

However, this intense pressure has also sparked debates about the psychological toll on students. Mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, have become increasingly prevalent among high school students, prompting calls for greater support systems and educational reforms.

Efforts to alleviate the burden include expanding university admissions criteria to consider extracurricular achievements and interview performance. However, these measures have yet to significantly diminish the Suneung’s overarching influence.

Misconceptions about the Suneung

Despite its prominence, several misconceptions surround the Suneung. One common belief is that a high Suneung score guarantees success in life. While the exam opens doors to top universities, it does not dictate an individual’s entire future. South Korea’s job market has become more competitive in recent years, with many employers placing greater emphasis on practical skills and work experience rather than academic credentials alone.

Another misconception is that the Suneung is solely a test of rote memorization. While memorization plays a role, the exam emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, particularly in mathematics and language sections. Additionally, the mathematics section often features multi-step problems that demand both theoretical understanding and strategic thinking.

The Suneung remains a defining feature of South Korea’s education system, reflecting both the nation’s dedication to academic excellence and the societal pressures that accompany it. 

As South Korea grapples with balancing tradition and innovation, the future of the Suneung continues to be a subject of national conversation. Whether through policy changes or shifting cultural attitudes, the exam’s role in shaping the lives of young South Koreans is likely to remain a cornerstone of the country’s educational landscape for years to come.

The Suneung remains a defining feature of South Korea’s education system, reflecting both the nation’s dedication to academic excellence and the societal pressures that accompany it.