Teacher Resigns After His English Examination Question Causes Stir, the Actual Question Released
- South Korea’s college entrance exam, the Suneung, faced fierce criticism this year over its English section
- Students and teachers described the test as confusing and “insane,” prompting the resignation of its chief official
- The controversy reignited debate about whether the exam measures true comprehension or simply test-taking tricks
The English section of South Korea’s gruelling college entrance exam, known as the Suneung, has long been regarded as one of the toughest parts of the test.
This year, students described it as “insane” and compared it to deciphering an ancient script. The backlash was so intense that the top official responsible for overseeing the exam resigned, citing the “chaos” it caused.
Source: Twitter
Suneung chief Oh Seung-geol admitted shortcomings in the exam, saying: “We sincerely accept the criticism that the difficulty of questions… was inappropriate.” He added that the test “fell short” despite undergoing several rounds of editing.
Here is the question below:
The difference is that the action in the game world can only be explored through the virtual bodily space of the avatar.
A video game has its own model of reality, internal to itself and separate from the player's external reality, the player's bodily space and the avatar's bodily space. (1) The avatar's bodily space, the potential actions of the avatar in the game world, is the only way in which the reality of the external reality of the game world can be perceived. (2) As in the real world, perception requires action. (3) Players extend their perceptual field into the game, encompassing the available actions of the avatar. (4) The feedback loop of perception and action that enables you to navigate the world around you is now one step removed: instead of perceiving primarily through interaction of your own body with the external world, you're perceiving the game world through interaction of the avatar. (5) The entire perceptual system has been extended into the game world.
The correct answer is 3.
Kant and gaming jargon in exam questions
Among the most daunting questions were one on Immanuel Kant’s philosophy of law and another involving gaming terminology.
The latter, worth three points, asked students to determine where a sentence should fit within a complex passage about avatars and perception in video games. The correct answer was option three.
Many students and online users criticised the wording of such questions. One Reddit user described it as “fancy smart talking,” while another called it “awful writing [that] doesn’t convey a concept or idea well.”
Student struggles with English section
Students were given 70 minutes to answer 45 questions. Just over 3% of test-takers achieved the highest grade in the English section, compared to 6% last year.
Im Na-hye, a senior at Hanyeong High School, said: “It took me a long time to figure out [several questions] and understanding the texts themselves was tricky… [Some] answers looked similar to each other. So I was unsure until the last minute.”
Professors divided over exam purpose
English language professor Jung Chae-kwan argued that the test was not necessarily impossible but “maddeningly confusing.” He said: “Teachers end up drilling test-taking hacks rather than teaching English… You don’t even really need to read the full text to get the points if you know the tricks.”
Critics also noted that some passages were taken out of context from books, including Game Feel, a game design guide by Steve Swink, making comprehension more difficult.
However, others defended the exam’s design. Kim Soo-yeon, an English literature professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said:
“It measures students’ reading comprehension and whether they can handle the level of material they’ll encounter in university.” She explained that the passages chosen had “some degree of specialisation,” which allowed the test to assess comprehension skills.
Suneung’s national impact
The Suneung, held every November, is an eight-hour marathon of back-to-back exams covering Korean, maths, English, social sciences and natural sciences.
Students answer around 200 questions, and the results can influence university admission, job prospects, income and even future relationships.
Preparation often begins in early childhood, with some children attending private tuition centres, known as “cram schools,” from as young as four.
The exam is such a monumental event that much of South Korea comes to a standstill on the day it is held. Construction work halts, planes are grounded and military training is suspended to ensure a quiet environment for test-takers.
Resignation highlights exam controversy
Since the Suneung was introduced in 1993, only four of its 12 chiefs have completed their full three-year terms. Most resigned due to errors in test questions. Mr Oh became the first to step down over the difficulty level of the exam, marking a rare moment of accountability in the history of South Korea’s most feared test.
Source: Legit.ng
