Every November, South Korea slows down for one of the most intense academic events of the year: the College Scholastic Ability Test, known as Suneung. Streets quiet, flights are delayed, and commuters move more gently, all to support students taking the nation’s critical exam.
For most, the Suneung is an eight-hour challenge, starting at 8:40 AM and wrapping up by 5:40 PM, covering Korean, mathematics, English, social and natural sciences, an additional foreign language, and classical Chinese characters called Hanja. Success in this exam can shape university opportunities, career paths, income potential, and even personal life.
However, students with severe visual impairments face an even greater test of endurance. Blind students are allowed 1.7 times the standard exam duration, meaning their day can stretch to nearly 13 hours, ending as late as 9:48 PM if taking all sections.
The exam’s length is compounded by braille test papers, which are six to nine times thicker than regular booklets due to every sentence, symbol, and diagram being converted into braille.
At Seoul Hanbit School for the Blind, 18-year-old Han Donghyun prepares for this grueling marathon. Born completely blind, he studies with braille papers and a screen-reading computer, carefully managing his stamina and focus. “It’s really exhausting because the exam is so long,” he says. “But there’s no special trick. I just follow my study schedule and manage my condition.”
This dedication highlights the determination and resilience of blind students navigating one of the world’s longest and most demanding entrance exams.
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