PHOTOS: Record number of students sit for annual university entrance exam

Students cheer each other on at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyunSEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - More than 550,000 students will take the annual university entrance exam at around 1,300 test venues nationwide on Thursday.

The number of test-takers increased by about 6 percent, or 31,504 students, compared with last year, the highest in seven years since 2019, when 594,924 students took the exam.

This is attributed to those born in 2007, known as the auspicious "Year of the Golden Pig," taking the exam, which is anticipated to make university admissions even more competitive.

Moreover, the smaller medical school quotas this year are likely to heighten competition among the highest-scoring applicants.
 A student hugs her mother at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 A student arrives at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun

Reflecting the country's obsessive zeal for higher education, South Korea maintains a university enrollment rate of nearly 70 percent, ranking first among OECD countries for the 17th consecutive year.

Students arrive at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 Students arrive at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 A students arrives at a high school in Seoul on Nov. 13, 2025, just before the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyunGiven the significant impact that admission to prestigious universities can have on students' future careers and social status, the exam has become more than just a test, it is an annual "big day" for many South Koreans. Parents pray for their children's luck at a temple in southern Seoul on Nov. 12, 2025, just a day ahead of the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun Students perform at a high school in southern Seoul on Nov. 12, 2025, just a day ahead of the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun Parents pray for their children's luck at a temple in southern Seoul on Nov. 12, 2025, just a day ahead of the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
 Parents pray for their children's luck at a temple in southern Seoul on Nov. 12, 2025, just a day ahead of the annual university entrance exam. AJP Yoo Na-hyun
Yoo Na-hyun Reporter shooting@ajupress.com