North Korea’s education ministry announced recently that a preparatory exam for college applicants will be held two weeks early.
“Education departments at provinces, cities and counties around the country notified high schools on the morning of Nov. 15 that the education ministry will be administering the university preparatory exam two weeks early,” a source in Pyongyang told Daily NK recently.
The university preparatory exam is typically held in December after graduating high school students have completed their final exams.
The preparatory exam is an essential step on the path to university admission. Only students who score well enough on chosen subjects on the preparatory exam are eligible to take entrance exams at individual universities the following February.
The education ministry’s ostensible reason for holding the preparatory exam two weeks earlier than originally scheduled is to reduce the burden on test takers and to enable them to prepare more thoroughly for university admission.
Notably, the ministry pledged to make college admission more transparent, stamp out cheating and other dishonest behavior and ensure fair competition as part of its campaign to train talented individuals with excellent character.
“The ministry candidly acknowledged it has failed to keep test questions secret and stamp out the corrupt practice of selling questions before the preparatory exam is held each year. In light of that, the ministry promised to eliminate corruption by replacing all problematic officials this year,” the source said.
Political background still important for admission
However, North Koreans whose children are planning to take the test remain skeptical about the ministry’s plans. “Every year, the children of influential and wealthy families have gone into the test with foreknowledge of the questions. There’s no guarantee that moving the test date forward will prevent that from happening,” one was quoted as saying.
“This year, as usual, the children of the rich and powerful will be filling coveted spots at universities of education and the Pyongyang-area universities that are essential for becoming a party official,” one pessimistic parent told the source.
According to the source, admission at major universities of education and Pyongyang-area universities depends not only on scores on the preparatory exam and the university entrance exam but also on political factors, including the family’s songbun (or caste) and routine reviews of candidates’ ideological fitness.
The source explained that it is also common for people required for special state purposes — such as the young women recruited to entertain senior officials by Section Five of the Central Committee — to be admitted into university even if they fail the preparatory exam.
Even at major universities outside of Pyongyang, the children of officials and individuals serving special state purposes are often granted university admission regardless of their test scores, enabling them to study alongside students chosen fairly for their outstanding test scores.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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November 28, 2024 at 05:30AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)