Busan education office to hold 2026 equivalency exam Tuesday

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced Friday it will administer the second round of the 2026 elementary, middle and high school equivalency examinations on Tuesday. A total of 2,482 candidates have registered — 152 for the elementary level, 370 for the middle school level and 1,960 for the high school level — up 30 from the same period last year.

The elementary-level exam will be held at Yeonil Middle School and the middle-school exam at Dongrae Middle School. The high school exam will be administered across six venues, including Daseon Middle School, Myeongjin Middle School, Choeup Middle School and Haegang Middle School. Separate testing sites have also been set up at Busan Oryun School and Busan Prison, bringing the total number of venues to eight.

Examinees are advised to check their assigned venue and review the test-day guidelines on the education office's website in advance. On the day of the exam, they must bring their admission ticket, a valid ID and writing instruments — a black ballpoint pen for the elementary level, and a black computer-marking pen for the middle and high school levels — and be seated at their designated venue by 8:30 a.m.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education said it will further strengthen its exam-monitoring procedures, particularly in response to growing concerns about cheating using digital devices such as smart glasses. Examinees should note that simply possessing a mobile phone, smart glasses or any other electronic or communications device during the exam may be treated as an act of cheating.

Ahead of the exam, the education office will inspect facilities and conditions at all venues to ensure examinees can sit the test in a safe and comfortable environment.

Results will be announced at 10 a.m. on Aug. 28 on the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education's website. For further inquiries, candidates may contact the office's website or the secondary education division's academic affairs team at 8600-342 through 344.