2026 Suneung (CSAT)

Suneung, Korea's College Scholastic Ability Test for the 2027 academic year, starts at 8:40 a.m. on a Thursday in mid-November 2026 and runs until 5:45 p.m. for students taking the optional second foreign language section. Around half a million candidates sit the exam at once, and the whole country adjusts: government offices and many companies push their start time to 10 a.m. to keep roads clear, the stock market opens an hour late, and aircraft take-offs and landings are suspended nationwide during the English listening section from 1:05 to 1:40 p.m. Younger pupils cheer seniors on at the school gates with banners and yeot, a sticky Korean toffee symbolising 'sticking' to the university of one's choice. Candidates must bring their admission slip and ID, and phones, smartwatches and other electronics are banned from the exam hall. Score reports arrive about three weeks later, followed by the regular admissions round. This countdown ticks to 8:40 a.m. Korea Standard Time, the moment the first section begins.