The anxiety-provoking college admissions process is unfortunately a universal teen experience. A key aspect of that process is college entrance examinations, aimed at predicting student success in colle
ge, and a critical yet dreaded part of the colle
ge admissions process. While the concept of these exams is similar globally, the structure, content, and length of the exams can differ.
Below is a description of some of the most common college entrance exams in several countries!
1. United States- the SAT
One the most common college admissions exams administrated in the United States is the SAT, or the Scholastic Assessment. Issued by the organization's College Board, the exam tests student ap in primarily Math and English language skills. The exam is graded on a scale of 400-1600, with subscores for English and math. Recently, the test has shifted to a digital format, resulting in many changes to the test itself. Firstly, the test itself was cut down in time, from 3 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes. Additionally, the test is now adaptive, meaning that the difficulty of the questions you get matches up to your performance on previous questions. In recent years, many colleges have shifted to test-optional, meaning US college admissions rely more heavily on school grades and extracurriculars.
Fun fact: The SAT was originally created as a military IQ (intellegent quotient) test in 1926!
2. China- Gaokao
Unlike the US college admissions process, which relies on a variety of factors, admission to Chinese universities relies solely on the Gaoko. This 9-hour exam is intense, scored out of 750 possible points and consisting of 6 core subjects (including Chinese, math, a foreign language, and a science section). Many students allocate several years to studying for the exam, as it is viewed as a significant factor in determining future academic and career success.
Fun Fact: There are many traffic and street rules enforced for areas around Gaeoko testing (for example, no cars are allowed to honk), as they could be distracting.
3. South Korea- Suneung
Like China’s Gaokao, the Suneung is indeed intense. Also clocking at 9 hours, the exam tests 6 subjects, including Korean, math, and Korean history. Many students attend Hagwon, or private educational institutions, who begin prepping students for the Suneung from elementary. High scores are necessary for admission at top South Korean universities (known as the Sky universities). Attending university is not the only thing at stake, though; scores can dictate job prospects, income, and various other aspects of life.
Fun fact: Each year, approximately 500 teachers are selected to write the exam. These teachers are taken to a secret location, prohibited from telling even their colleagues their location or what they are doing.
4. Brazil- ENEM
Enem is Brazil’s college entrance exam. It covers four sections, including Natural science + math, essay writing, and languages. It is used for admission to Brazil’s federal universities, with some universities using it as the sole criterion for admission, while others consider it along with other factors (like high school grades and more specific entrance exams).
Fun Fact: ENEM also serves as a certification exam for high school completion, as a good score on the exam can be, used to graduate from high school.
Stay tuned for a future blog post covering college entrance exams in additional countries, and for more blogs on a variety of topics!
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