The Ministry of Education said on Monday that it will closely examine the preparation and review processes for the all-important College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT), or Suneung, following criticism over the extreme difficulty of this year’s exam.

Ministry spokesperson Jeong Byung-ik said at a regular briefing that the government is taking the public’s concerns about the English section of the college entrance exam very seriously.

Jeong said the ministry is currently preparing measures to improve the system, manage exam difficulty and prevent the problem from recurring.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin also expressed regret for the impact the controversial test has had on students and parents.

The percentage of students who received a Grade 1 in English, or a score of 90 or higher on an absolute scale, was the lowest since 2018, when the grading system was introduced.

Speaking on a CBS radio show the same day, Choi addressed calls to scrap the CSAT altogether, saying that would be difficult and could create more problems, but stressed that the ministry is considering ways to design a university admissions process that best fits the high school system.