Inside Korea’s intense exam season: From grounded flights to police escorts to school

The Suneung exam happens just once a year and is an all‑day marathon of back‑to‑back tests (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Hay fever,revision cards and brightly coloured timetables can mean only one thing: exam season is upon us.

But if you or you’re kids are struggling with revision,you may want to thank your lucky stars you’re not in South Korea,where exam preparation takes on a whole new meaning.

Each November,hundreds of thousands of students sit the Suneung,an all‑day marathon of back‑to‑back tests in Korean language and literature,mathematics,English,science,national history and other subjects in an eight-hour slog,with breaks for meals.

In readiness for the gruelling exam,many Korean students immerse themselves in the so‑called ‘10‑10’ routine,spending ten hours a day in school and another ten revising – either through private tuition or alone.

‘At the end of the year,the whole nation shuts down for one exam. If a student fails and wants to retake it,they have to wait another year – and some repeat it two or three times,’ explains Dr Kahee Jo,lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield.

Exam stress takes on a whole new meaning (Picture: Getty Images/ImaZinS RF)

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Everyone is invested – not just the students

The results of the Suneung determine university options and,by extension,job prospects and future income. So the pressure to succeed is immense.‘All universities rely on this one examination,so it must be fair and impossible to cheat,which is why it’s held on one day. Public administration and police are involved,’Kahee explains.‘During the English listening section,airplanes are grounded to prevent noise. Everything is arranged to make it fair for everyone.’In the capital Seoul,some shops open late,banks delay their hours and the stock market starts later. Construction work pauses and certain military training exercises are halted.Planes are even stopped for listening exams (Picture: Getty Images)‘Everything needs to stop. Private companies often shift working hours to avoid rush‑hour congestion when students are travelling to exam centres,which are held in local middle and high schools,’ adds Kahee.This means younger children can enjoy a day off school,and many line the streets to cheer the older students – chanting,singing and dancing as they head to their exams.And for the unlucky few who oversleep,local police provide escorts to ensure they arrive on time. The entire nation plays a role in helping students prepare,while many parents spend the day in temples or churches,praying for their children’s success.

Food also plays a key role

A parents’ committee monitors what the children are eating to prepare for their exam (Picture: Getty Images)‘Studying isn’t just sitting at a desk. Nutrition helps students focus and maintain strength and mental health,’ says Kahee. ‘School lunches in Korea are wholesome and nutritious,regularly checked by parents’ committees. It’s not a sandwich – it’s rice,side dishes,vegetables and meat.’Sticky rice becomes a staple,as some believe it helps knowledge ‘stick’ and family and friends often give rice cakes,known as tteok,as encouragement.

Exam Day

On the day of Suneung,nervous students sit the test away from their usual classmates and in unfamiliar rooms – which can cause tension.Kahee explains: ‘If someone is shaking their legs or making noise and the invigilator intervenes,it can cause a scene. By the end of the exam,stress and disappointment build up,and students sometimes argue because they need someone to blame.’When she took the exam in November 2004,Kahee was one of 32 women in a room at a local high school – tests centres are allocated by gender.She sat down at her solo desk full of nerves,but also excitement that her hard work was nearly over – and watched quietly as students filed in from various local schools.Dr Kahee Jo took the exam 22 years ago (Picture: Supplied)‘Students in different school uniforms behaved differently. While some tried to revise until the last minute,there were others who tried to sleep or close their eyes until the invigilators came in.‘Some found their friends and chatted,others were annoyed by the noise and put their earphones in their ears. There were also some students trying to eat sweets to keep the energy throughout the first session,’ she remembers.Invigilators sorted exam papers and answer sheets and collected everyone’s digital devices and tested the sound system for the listening tests before the various first session began; Korean.With each break between sessions,the mood changed,Kahee remembers. ‘Some students immediately realised that this wouldn’t go well,others were rather relieved by the fact one session had passed.‘I felt somewhere in between,but also felt like it was one of those mock exams that we had done several times already and practiced with a timer again and again.’Over lunch students dissected the morning’s efforts with their friends,refuelling on rice porridge or other lunches provided by parents. Many were careful not to overeat so they did not fall asleep during the afternoon English listening assessments.Children in South Korea can be expected to study for up to 20 hours a day (Picture: Getty Images/ImaZinS RF)

‘Some students started crying’

Describing the end of her exam,Kahee recalls: ‘At the first chime,the invigilator told us to put down pens,and place both hands on our heads until they collect all the answer sheets from the students. Finally the final chime rang,all the answer cards were collected and digital devices returned to the students who were allowed to leave the room at last.‘Some students started crying the moment they turned on their phones,others looked worried but happy. I headed out to the gate looking for my mother,who was waiting for me among other parents,and picked up dinner at a neighbouring restaurant to celebrate the finish. I remember that my family and I intentionally shut out the media just to enjoy the moment unbothered from all news reports or experts’ analysis.’While Kahee’s family were relatively relaxed,she was aware that some friends were put under a lot of pressure.‘It isn’t just a day or a week of support. For families,it’s the culmination of more than 12 years of education,all decided by one exam. Everyone is nervous and tries not to disturb the student,’ she explains.Hongik University,is just one place where students may be trying to get into (Picture: Getty Images)‘It depends on the household,but generally families are especially kind to the final‑year student while making sure they stay focused. Hobbies and other activities are put aside until after the exam.’It is not unusual for students to take medication for anxiety or depression ahead of the exam,says Kahee,who passed her exam with flying colours and went on to study the prestigious Ewha Women’s University,before moving to the UK for her doctorate..‘Academic achievement is very important to many Korean families. Education is seen as the main route to maintaining or improving social status. So investing heavily in children’s education feels natural.’

Is it too intense?

Balancing this pressure has proven difficult. In recent years,the education system has faced criticism for placing too much strain on young people and students have reported severe stress,insomnia,anxiety and symptoms of depression. In response,the Ministry of Education removed exams from elementary schools,among other measures.But the changes didn’t have the intended effect. Families instead poured more money into private tutoring to prepare children for secondary school.As a result,private education spending rose by 60% in the decade to 2024,’ says Kahee. ‘The government tried to reduce the burden,but the numbers show more students are preparing outside public institutions. Families often have only one or two children,so they invest a lot.’Post-exam celebrations look a little different too (Picture: Getty Images/ImaZinS RF)And what happens after an eight‑hour exam marathon? Wild parties? Beach holidays? Not quite.Some aren’t at legal drinking age,so instead of bars they might go to karaoke or spend time with friends. Others,exhausted,simply go home to watch TV or scroll on their phones. Students get just one evening of freedom before returning to school for a post‑mortem of the tests.Kahee explains: ‘After the exam,reactions vary. Some feel sad,some feel they didn’t do well,and some think – whatever,it’s done. They rush to cinemas,restaurants and hairdressers,which offer discounts to exam takers. They spend time with family and friends and feel free.‘Then the next day,everyone goes back to to the classroom. There is no single day of rest. Attendance at school is still required. Students talk to teachers,compare answers and estimate their scores so they know what to expect before the official results arrive weeks later.‘Then they can judge which universities they might apply to – or decide whether to retake the exam and do it all again the following year.’