Endurance Inside the Exam Room: Blind Students Face 13-Hour Suneung Challenge

Fri Nov 14 2025 01:00:14 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Explore the incredible journey of blind students undertaking South Korea's rigorous Suneung exam, enduring long hours and challenges in pursuit of their education.

Every November, South Korea halts for its infamous college entrance exam, the Suneung, a day when more than 550,000 students sit for a test that can shape their futures. Among them are blind students who face an astonishing 13-hour ordeal, equipped with braille materials and screen-reading technology. This article delves into the experiences of these resilient students, highlighting both their academic challenges and the barriers they face in accessing essential study resources.

Every November, South Korea comes to a standstill for its infamous college entrance exam.

Shops are shut, flights are delayed to reduce noise, and even the rhythm of the morning commute slows down for the students.

By late afternoon, most test-takers walk out of school gates, exhaling with relief and embracing family members waiting outside.

But not everyone finishes at that hour. Even once darkness has fully settled and night has set in, some students are still in the exam room - finishing close to 10pm.

They are the blind students, who often spend more than 12 hours taking the longest version of the Suneung.

On Thursday, more than 550,000 students across the country will sit for the Suneung - an abbreviation for College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) in Korean. It is the highest number of applicants in seven years.

The test not only dictates whether people will be able to go to university, but can affect their job prospects, income, where they will live and even future relationships.

Depending on their subject choices, students answer roughly 200 questions across Korean, mathematics, English, social or natural sciences, an additional foreign language, and Hanja (classical Chinese characters used in Korean).

For most students, it is an eight-hour marathon of back-to-back exams, beginning at 08:40 and finishing around 17:40.

Blind students with severe visual impairments, however, are given 1.7 times the standard testing duration, meaning if they take the additional foreign language section, the exam can finish as late as 21:48 - nearly 13 hours after it began. There is no dinner break; the exam continues straight through.

The physical bulk of the braille test papers also contributes to the length; when every sentence, symbol, and diagram is converted into braille, each test booklet becomes six to nine times thicker than the standard equivalent.

At Seoul Hanbit School for the Blind, 18-year-old Han Donghyun is one of the students taking the longest version of the Suneung this year. He was born completely blind and cannot distinguish light. Dong-hyun practices diligently, managing his stamina for the demanding exam.

The Korean language section poses particular difficulties, with braille versions being significantly larger than standard test booklets. Dong-hyun described the challenges of interpreting graphs and tables using only his fingertips.

As the exam day approaches, students like Oh Jeong-won also prepare intensely, noting that maintaining focus throughout the lengthy testing period is exhausting. They must also contend with the lack of accessible study materials, which makes preparation even more challenging.

For these students, the Suneung is not just a college entrance exam - it's proof of the years they have endured to excel academically. Their dedication and perseverance shine through, showcasing the remarkable resolve of these blind students in the face of adversity.