Korea’s 'insane' English test becomes global talking point as readers weigh in

SEATTLE — The world is now taking Korea’s college entrance exam — and arguing over whether the English questions were manageable puzzles or mind-bending traps. What began as a domestic controversy over this year’s unusually difficult English section has evolved into a global conversation, with foreign media dissecting the exam and readers abroad trying the questions themselves. Outlets including the Independent, BBC and the Times of India have spotlighted sample items from the English test, inviting audiences to gauge just how challenging the material really was. Foreign media noted that the English section produced the lowest share of top scorers since the grading system was introduced. News that the exam chief resigned only intensified global interest in what made this portion of Korea’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), or Suneung, so controversial. One widely shared reading passage asked students to identify the most logical conclusion in a paragraph based on Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of law. Another incorporated gaming terminology in a short text and required te

Korea’s 'insane' English test becomes global talki...