Can it work? Results of public deliberation on essay-style college entrance exam released

The results of a public deliberation on introducing essay and short-answer questions to South Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test will be presented to the full committee of the National Education Commission. As debate over the proposed change intensifies — with grading fairness, the reliability of AI-assisted scoring, and the potential expansion of private tutoring emerging as central concerns — the direction of future college admissions reform is drawing close attention.

The National Education Commission, which operates under the president, said it will hold its 10th plenary session Thursday morning at Government Complex Seoul to receive a report on the results of the Citizens' Participation Committee deliberation on college admissions policy.

The commission conducted a deliberative forum with the Citizens' Participation Committee over a two-day, one-night session Aug. 29-30, focusing on the future direction of college admissions and essay-style assessment. Of the 203 people who applied to participate, 180 attended the discussions. The commission plans to analyze pre- and post-deliberation surveys along with the discussion content as it considers reforms to the college admissions system.

During the deliberation, participants raised concerns that the current multiple-choice-centered format is insufficient for assessing students' critical thinking and creativity. Views were divided, however, on how essay-style assessment should be introduced. Even among those who supported or acknowledged the need for the change, a strong consensus emerged that grading fairness and reliability must be secured before such a format can be used in college admissions.

How to grade large volumes of CSAT responses is also a point of contention. The commission is examining the possibility of using AI to score essay-style answers, but participants in the deliberation raised concerns that even if AI handles initial grading, teachers could ultimately bear responsibility for final scores. Some also suggested that a robust scoring system should be built first, with shorter written-response questions introduced gradually before moving to full essays.

The debate has continued within the commission itself this month. At a special session held Sept. 4, commissioners raised a series of concerns: the fairness of AI-based grading, the possibility of grade disputes and litigation, the burden on teachers doing the scoring, increased pressure on students, and the potential expansion of private tutoring. Some commissioners also questioned whether the public consultation process was being steered toward a predetermined conclusion in favor of introducing essay-style assessment.

Commission Chairperson Cha Jeong-in said at the time that "it is time to reflect on the multiple-choice format that has defined the CSAT for 33 years," while also stressing that sufficient preparation is needed to address concerns about private tutoring, teacher readiness and the safe use of AI technology.

The admissions reform agenda currently under review by the commission extends beyond essay-style questions on the CSAT. It also includes converting all CSAT subjects to absolute grading, expanding absolute grading for school-based assessments, broadening essay-style evaluation within schools, and adjusting the timing of the college admissions process.

Under the current CSAT system, subjects such as English, Korean history and second foreign languages are already graded on an absolute scale; extending that approach to all subject areas is also under discussion. The commission maintains, however, that no finalized admissions reform plan exists yet.

The commission plans to deliberate on admissions reform proposals based on input gathered through the Citizens' Participation Committee deliberation and on-site forums. A draft of the 2028–2037 National Education Development Plan — which will incorporate the admissions overhaul — is set to be released in late October. The commission aims to finalize the plan in March next year after additional public consultations.

Thursday's session will also receive a final report on the Basic Principles of School Civic Education. The document was approved at the commission's eighth session last month, subject to minor wording revisions. The finalized version removes the word "national" from the title and incorporates provisions requiring that controversial issues be addressed with reference to the national curriculum, educational objectives and students' developmental levels.

"For college admissions policy, which draws wide public attention, we will do our utmost to listen carefully to the views of the people through a multifaceted deliberation process and develop policy grounded in social consensus," Cha said.