Cheating on the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) while wearing smart glasses could bring ‘a ban from taking the exam for up to three years and criminal penalties’

[Financial News] From now on, anyone who cheats on the CSAT by wearing or using smart glasses will have their exam invalidated and be barred from taking the CSAT for up to three years. In particular, such conduct will be treated as deliberate disruption of the exam, rather than a simple violation of test rules, and offenders will also face criminal penalties after being reported to police.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Education announced a plan to counter cheating using smart glasses on the CSAT.
Starting with this year’s CSAT test sites, one dedicated proctor per school will be assigned to identify smart glasses. If on-site proctors have difficulty determining whether an item is smart glasses, an emergency communications network will be activated to connect them directly with provincial and metropolitan offices of education and the Ministry of Education’s situation room for verification. In line with technological advances, the ministry is also considering introducing “radio-wave detectors” at test sites starting with next year’s CSAT to detect electronic devices.
The measures come amid growing concern in the admissions sector after a series of test-takers wearing or carrying smart glasses were caught recently during university-specific rolling-admission essay exams at institutions including Yonsei University and the University of Seoul. In response, the Ministry of Education recommended applying the same penalty guidelines not only to the CSAT but also to university-specific exams for both rolling and regular admissions. The ministry also plans to pursue amendments to the Higher Education Act to extend the current one-year suspension of eligibility to take the CSAT for those caught cheating to three years, and to take a tough line, including through criminal complaints, as in past cases where people involved in organized cheating were given suspended prison sentences.
Meanwhile, protections will also be strengthened to ensure that teachers serving as exam proctors do not suffer disadvantages, such as legal action, while detecting cheating. The Ministry of Education plans to expand the coverage and extend the claim period of liability insurance for all proctors at this year’s CSAT, and to improve their working conditions, including by raising proctor allowances in the future. 

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter