[Diary Point = Reporter Kim Jung-hoon] Smart glasses are among the items prohibited at the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), South Korea’s national college entrance exam. With the test scheduled for November 19, the Ministry of Education released its response plan on October 29, drawing renewed attention to the penalties for bringing in, wearing or refusing an inspection of the glasses.
The penalties depend on what a test taker does. Simply bringing smart glasses into the exam room and possessing them will invalidate that test. Wearing them during the exam can be treated as using a smart device, regardless of whether any functions are turned on, and may result in the test being voided and the test taker being barred from the following year’s exam.
Refusing an inspection can also lead to a ban from the following year’s exam
Refusing when an exam supervisor asks to inspect suspicious glasses is not treated lightly. According to the Ministry of Education, after a review, the test may be invalidated and the test taker may be barred from the following year’s exam. If the inspection requires the glasses to be removed, test takers must follow the instructions of on-site supervisors.
Using smart glasses to look up or transmit answers, or to commit other forms of cheating, could bring consequences beyond an invalidated test. The ministry said it would respond firmly, treating such conduct as deliberate and planned interference with the administration of a national exam and referring cases to prosecutors or requesting an investigation, potentially leading to criminal penalties. Whether criminal penalties apply, and what they would be, will be determined through the investigation and judicial process.
A three-year exam ban is still a proposal, not the current rule
The ministry also said it plans to pursue a change that would extend the period during which students who cheat are barred from taking the CSAT from the current one year to three years. This is a proposed policy change and should be distinguished from rules that have been finalized and put into effect. The ministry also plans to recommend stronger criminal penalties and sanctions for cheating on university-administered entrance exams.
To prepare for cases in which it is difficult to determine on site whether glasses are smart glasses, the ministry plans to appoint designated staff at each test site and operate a response network linking schools, provincial and metropolitan education offices, and situation rooms at the ministry and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation. Students and parents should check the list of permitted belongings in advance and avoid bringing electronic devices, including smart glasses, on exam day. The 2027 CSAT will be held on November 19.