The English section of South Korea's gruelling college entrance exam, or Suneung, is notoriously difficult, with some students comparing it to deciphering an ancient script, and others calling it insane.
So intense was the criticism around this year's test that the top official in charge of administering it resigned to take responsibility for the chaos it caused.
We sincerely accept the criticism that the difficulty of questions... was inappropriate, said Suneung chief Oh Seung-geol, adding that the test fell short despite having gone through several rounds of editing.
Among the most daunting questions are one on Immanuel Kant's philosophy of law and another involving gaming jargon.
The latter, worth three points, asks students to pick where a sentence should fit in a given paragraph. The sentence in bold is: The difference is that the action in the game world can only be explored through the virtual bodily space of the avatar. The correct answer to the complex options provided was noted to be a challenging task for many students.
Many have criticized the way the question and several others were worded. One user on Reddit called it fancy smart talking while another said it was awful writing that doesn't convey a concept or idea well.
Students are given 70 minutes to attempt 45 questions. Just over 3% of this year's test-takers scored the highest grade for the English section, down from 6% last year.
It took me a long time to figure out [several questions] and understanding the texts themselves was tricky... [Some] answers looked similar to each other. So I was unsure until the last minute, said Im Na-hye, a senior in Hanyeong High School.
However, English language professor Jung Chae-kwan argues it is a misnomer to call the English test tough. Instead, he contends that the materials presented in the exam are maddeningly confusing, undermining educational integrity.
Some passages used in the questions are excerpts from books taken out of context. For instance, the question's excerpt comes from *Game Feel*, a game design guide by Steve Swink.
Conversely, others argue that the difficulty reflects the test's intention to gauge students' reading comprehension. This year's exam is emblematic of a larger issue at play in South Korea's high-stakes testing culture.
The Suneung, held every November, serves as an infamous eight-hour marathon determining not just university admission, but students' future prospects. With national significance, it halts everyday activities across the country.
Oh's resignation marks a rare occurrence in the exam's history, as he is the first chief to step down over a test's difficulty, raising questions about future assessments and their fairness.
