The government is reportedly mulling over postponing this year's college entrance exam by a couple of weeks as the opening of the spring semester was pushed to April to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

The state-administered College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT) is scheduled for November 19, but concerns are rising as the beginning of the school year has been postponed by more than one month to April 6.   

According to the government and presidential office on Monday, they are examining three options -- holding the exam as scheduled, delaying it by one week to November 26, or postponing it by two weeks to December 3.

Intensive discussions are reportedly underway within the ruling bloc, but a senior government official told Yonhap News that the government is leaning toward delaying the exam by a couple of weeks.