September Mock Assessment: Korean and Math Were Harder Than in June, While English Was Easier

[Financial News] The Korean language and mathematics sections of the September mock assessment, which is intended to indicate the question-setting trends for the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), were analyzed as more difficult than those of the June mock assessment. The English section, however, was considered easier than last year’s CSAT and this year’s June mock assessment. Although extremely difficult questions were excluded in line with education authorities’ policy, the Korean language and mathematics sections included questions designed to differentiate students, particularly in the common subjects.
According to education and admissions experts on September 2, the Korean language section in the first session was considered more difficult than the June mock assessment but somewhat easier than last year’s CSAT. The highest standard score for the Language and Media subject in the June mock assessment was 132.
Nam Yoon-gon, head of the MegaStudyEdu Admissions Strategy Research Institute, assessed, "The Korean language section of this September mock assessment was easier than last year’s CSAT but somewhat more difficult than this year’s June assessment. Questions 8 and 13 in the common Reading subject were highly difficult and not easy for students to solve, while questions 33 in Literature and 40 in Speech and Writing likely took considerable time to answer."
Lim Seong-ho, head of Jongro Academy, said, "The test was set at an appropriate difficulty level to differentiate students. Students likely spent relatively more time on Literature than on Reading, and unfamiliar question types may have added to the burden. Questions 7 and 8 in Humanities and Philosophy and question 13 in Technology were key items that could separate students in the top grade bands."
The mathematics section in the second session was generally similar in difficulty to last year’s CSAT and the September mock assessment from the previous year. Admissions experts, however, analyzed that its perceived difficulty in the common subjects was higher than in the June mock assessment.
Lim said, "It was more difficult than the June mock assessment and similar to, or somewhat easier than, last year’s actual CSAT. The perceived difficulty was likely considerably higher in the common questions than in the elective subjects." Kim Byung-jin, head of the Etoos Educational Evaluation Research Institute, noted, "The common subjects were relatively more difficult than in June, so students’ perceived difficulty likely varied depending on how thoroughly they had mastered those subjects. In particular, many students may have struggled with question 14 on sequences." Questions 21 and 22 were cited as major differentiating items.
By contrast, the English section in the third session was analyzed as easier than last year’s CSAT and this year’s June mock assessment. The proportion of students receiving a Grade 1 in English was 3.11% on the 2026 CSAT and 4.13% on this year’s June mock assessment. The test used familiar topics and everyday vocabulary.
Lim predicted, "Vocabulary, sentence structures, topics, and passage lengths were all easier than in this year’s June assessment and last year’s actual CSAT, so the perceived difficulty was likely significantly lower. As the test became generally easier, there is also a possibility that it may have had somewhat less ability to differentiate among top students." Nam Yoon-gon analyzed, "Questions 33 and 34 on blank inference, question 37 on paragraph order, and question 39 on sentence insertion required judgment when students selected their answers."
Admissions experts advised students to focus on addressing weaknesses in each section during the remaining preparation period rather than simply linking the September mock assessment results to the difficulty of the actual CSAT. Kim Byung-jin emphasized, "Many students are trying to meet the minimum CSAT requirement for early admissions through English, so they must not lose focus on their studies simply because this test was easy."
[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter