Anchor: The annual state-administered College Scholastic Aptitude Test took place Thursday. This year, around 522-thousand people registered to take the exam at one-thousand-282 locations across the country. That includes a record number of retakers, after the quota increased for medical school admissions.
Yun Sohyang reports.  

Report: [Sound bite: Cheering event by high school juniors (Nov. 14 in front of Yongsan High School, Seoul)] (1:40-2:00)

On Thursday morning, students and graduates taking the annual College Scholastic Aptitude Test(CSAT) arrived at their designated test locations. 

More than 522-thousand people signed up in hopes of getting into college next year. 

This year, 161-thousand-784 high school graduates were among them, accounting for 31 percent of all test-takers.

It’s the highest figure since 2003, possibly because of the higher medical school admissions quota for next year. 

With competition expected to intensify among the top scorers in what is considered the most important exam for many South Koreans, high school juniors gathered in front of test sites to rally behind the seniors as they entered.

[Sound bite: a CSAT taker (Nov. 14 / Yongsan High School, Seoul)]
“I studied hard and prepared well, so I’ll go and do my best. I focused on preparing for the first test of the day, the Korean language (test), as I think it’s better to start the test on a good note.”
00:47
00:20 

But as the CSAT began, the entire nation tried to keep quiet for the exam-takers. 

Drivers were advised not to honk their horns, and live-fire military exercises were rescheduled to ensure the best possible testing environment.

Flights were banned from taking off or landing during the 35-minute English listening comprehension test in the afternoon.

Government offices and corporations pushed back their morning opening time by an hour to ease traffic. 

Stock exchanges delayed trading by an hour. 

Meanwhile, many parents went to churches or temples to pray for their children as they took the crucial test, which will largely determine the future of its takers in South Korea’s highly competitive educational environment.

CSAT scores will be released December 6, along with the final data on how many people took the test. 
Yun Sohyang, KBS World Radio News.