Starting from the 2028 academic year, the number of questions in the social and science inquiry areas for first-year high school students will increase. The total exam time will be extended by 20 minutes from the previous duration.
The Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation announced the details of the 2028 academic year university entrance exam and scoring system on the 20th. Current test-takers choose two subjects from 17 social and science inquiry subjects. From the 2028 academic year, all students will be required to answer common social and science questions regardless of the humanities or sciences.
The common social and science questions introduced in the 2028 academic year will consist of 25 questions per subject, with a total exam time of 40 minutes (50 questions in total for 80 minutes). Previously, there were 20 questions per subject and 30 minutes (40 questions in total for 60 minutes). This means an increase of 10 questions and 20 minutes.
The scoring for each question will be detailed from the previous 2 points and 3 points to 1.5 points, 2 points, and 2.5 points. The scores for the two subjects will be calculated separately. There will be 15 minutes allocated for the collection and distribution of test papers and answer sheets between the social and science exam times.
The second foreign language and classical Chinese will be reduced from 30 questions and 40 minutes to 20 questions and 30 minutes starting in the 2028 academic year. The subjects of Korean, mathematics, English, and Korean history will maintain their current number of questions and exam times. Korean will have 45 questions for 80 minutes, mathematics will have 30 questions for 100 minutes, English will have 45 questions for 70 minutes, and Korean history will have 20 questions for 30 minutes.
The university entrance exam schedule will keep the first session as Korean, the second session as mathematics, the third session as English, the fourth session as Korean history and inquiry, and the fifth session as the second foreign language and classical Chinese. The first session starts at 8:40 a.m. and the fifth session ends at 6:05 p.m. The Ministry of Education noted, “We expect that all students will take the exam under fair conditions with the integrated format” and “We will maintain the public education-centered policy for the university entrance exam.”