It has been revealed that graduates and other repeat test-takers, commonly known as "N-test students," scored higher than high school seniors across all subjects of Korean, math, and English in the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) administered last year.

The average standard scores for Korean and math were 13.3 points and 12.1 points higher for graduates than for currently enrolled students, respectively.

In English, which is graded on an absolute scale, the proportion of graduates receiving grade 1 or 2 stood at 25.3%, which is 11.1 percentage points higher than that of current students.

Last year's CSAT English exam sparked controversy over its difficulty, as the proportion of top-grade recipients dropped to a record low of 3.11%.

The dominance of N-test students has been a persistent trend since the introduction of the integrated literature and science CSAT in the 2022 academic year.

Even in this year's CSAT scheduled for November, a large number of top-tier N-test students are expected due to factors such as the introduction of the regional doctor system.

Among applicants for the 2027 CSAT, graduates and those who passed the high school graduation equivalency exam reached 196,473, marking the largest scale in 23 years.

(Photo: Yonhap News)