September Mock English Exam Easier Than Last Year’s CSAT and June Assessment: “No New Question Types, Familiar Topics Such as Dopamine Used”

[Financial News] Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) analyzed the English section of the September mock assessment for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), administered on the 2nd, as easier than last year’s CSAT and this year’s June mock assessment. It said the test used familiar topics such as “search-term autocomplete” and “dopamine,” while reducing overly abstract or complex sentences. At the same time, it included questions that required students to accurately connect the passages with the answer choices, thereby maintaining differentiation among mid- and upper-level students.
In its analysis of the English section of the September mock assessment, EBS said, “The test maintained the existing question-setting trends without introducing new types, and included questions of various types that could be solved only by accurately understanding the passages and answer choices.” It added, “The test appears to have been easier than last year’s CSAT and this year’s June mock assessment.” The total of 45 questions—including 17 listening questions and 28 reading questions—maintained the established format.
The listening questions were similar in type and moderate in difficulty to those on previous assessments, while the burden of many reading questions was also reduced. Rather than increasing difficulty through challenging vocabulary or long, complex sentences, the test focused on assessing students’ ability to read passages accurately and identify evidence supporting the answer choices.
The topics of the passages also made them more accessible to students. Many dealt with subjects they could encounter in everyday life, including “the role of search-term autocomplete,” “the function of dopamine,” “reducing cafeteria food waste,” “leaders’ empathy,” and “the mechanism of jokes.” EBS explained that it excluded overly abstract content that would be difficult to understand even when translated into Korean, as well as lengthy and complex sentence structures.
However, some questions were considered effective in distinguishing mid- and upper-level students. EBS identified Question 21, which asks students to infer an implied meaning; Questions 33 and 34, which ask them to infer missing content; and Question 37, which asks them to determine the order of paragraphs, as questions with strong discriminating power.
Question 33, a fill-in-the-blank inference question, addressed how a literary work conveys the atmosphere and terrain of a place to readers. Although the vocabulary and sentence structures were relatively familiar, many incorrect answer choices also contained key words from the passage. Students therefore had to understand the overall context rather than choose an answer based on individual words.
Question 34 featured a passage explaining the role of “surprise” in jokes. Although the passage itself was not highly difficult, students had to accurately identify what the pronouns referred to and understand the meaning of the figurative language. As a result, the question was expected to distinguish mid- and upper-level students.
Question 37, which asked students to determine the order of paragraphs, focused on the development of salmon farming. To find the correct answer, students had to accurately follow the connections between paragraphs and expressions that referred back to information explained earlier. The question was therefore regarded as an assessment of logical reading comprehension.
The EBS linkage rate was 55.6%. Of the 45 questions, 25 were linked to EBS CSAT preparation materials. In listening and indirect speaking, 15 questions—Questions 1 through 15—were linked. In reading and indirect writing, 10 questions were linked: Questions 21, 25 through 29, 31, and 43 through 45.
The admissions industry also assessed this English section as easier than this year’s June mock assessment and last year’s CSAT.
Jongro Academy analyzed that the vocabulary, sentence structures, passage topics, and passage lengths were generally easier, likely making the test feel considerably less difficult to students. The proportion of students receiving the top grade in English, which is graded on an absolute scale, was 4.1% on this year’s June mock assessment and 3.1% on last year’s CSAT. However, the academy also said that the easier test could somewhat weaken differentiation among top students. It identified Question 37, a three-point question on paragraph order, and Question 39, a sentence-insertion question, as relatively difficult.
Etoos Education offered a similar assessment. Kim Byung-jin, head of Etoos Education’s Institute of Educational Assessment, analyzed, “Because the passages were not particularly long and the vocabulary level was not high, students likely found it easier to approach the questions.” He added, “The test appears to have sought to secure differentiation by adjusting the difficulty through incorrect choices that looked like correct answers.”
Experts advised students to practice checking not only the basis for the correct answer but also the reasons the incorrect choices were wrong during the remaining study period. EBS recommended consistently practicing how to find evidence in the passage explaining why an incorrect choice is wrong, rather than stopping after selecting the answer that fits the passage. It also said students should not merely memorize the meanings of basic vocabulary, but expand and deepen their understanding of those words within the context of passages.
Kim Byung-jin also advised, “As many students are expected to try to meet the minimum CSAT requirements for early admissions through their English scores, it is important to maintain focus on English studies until the end.” He added, “Students should consistently practice using unfamiliar passages dealing with similar topics or subjects, as well as studying the EBS-linked materials.”

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter