Implementing a written and essay-type CSAT - ensuring fairness and reliability in scoring is the first task. Let's take a look at three issues.

The National Education Commission (NEC) began a public consultation on the revised university entrance exam (college Scholastic Ability Test or 수능) on November 11th, with several points of contention surrounding the introduction of regional service and discussion formats. Key concerns include the consistency and fairness of scoring, as well as potential increases in private education costs.

The NEC gathered opinions from over 100 educators, students, and parents in each region through various mediums, such as public hearings, citizenry consultations, and an online public opinion platform, to inform their '2028-2037 National Education Development Plan' proposal due by the end of October. The most discussed aspect of the proposed changes is the introduction and expansion of the service and discussion-oriented writing section in both the university and national exams.

This idea has been previously debated, but concerns about its potential to exacerbate private education growth have deterred progress. In 2018, the Park Geun-hye administration proposed the service and discussion-oriented writing section in the college Scholastic Ability Test during the 2022 entrance exam reform, and in 2021, the government reviewed the implementation of service and discussion-oriented writing for the 2028 college Scholastic Ability Test.

However, Education Minister at the time, Jang Ho-jo, reportedly stated that without improved teacher evaluation skills, implementing the service-oriented writing questions could lead to an increase in private education costs. The main concern remains the potential for inconsistent scoring depending on the scorer, which could impact the fairness and trustworthiness of the results.

The government plans to address this issue by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) for initial scoring, with multiple teachers ultimately verifying the results to ensure consistency and fairness. This approach has been successfully implemented in some regions, with AI assessment tools showing high correlation with human scoring.

The NEC also suggests a phased introduction of 'condition-controlled' open-ended questions, which direct answer paths before allowing creative responses, and the establishment of a review body consisting of experts and parents to address any concerns. The introduction of new question types is expected to drive growth in private education services, as some regions have already reported increased demand for tutoring related to writing, reading, and literacy skills.

The educational community is wary of this trend, fearing that the introduction of the new writing format could lead to an explosion in private education demand. In response, high school teacher Jeong Mi-ra of the Practical Education Teachers' Association commented that while written expression exams in Korea already heavily rely on memorized answers, service and discussion-oriented writing questions are more difficult for private tutors to prepare.

She emphasized the need for alternative question formats that do not significantly increase private education demand. High school teachers' resistance to changing assessment methods is another obstacle. Teacher unions and the Korean Teachers' Association have also voiced opposition to these reforms. The former National Union of Public High School Teachers' Vice-Chair, Kwong Hyo-seon, noted that many teachers are eager for service and absolute grading systems but are concerned about the anxiety surrounding change.

He stressed that the government should address teacher recruitment and workload reduction to alleviate teacher anxiety.