They looked like thick-framed regular glasses. After smart glasses turned up at university essay exams, the exam body is drawing a hard line a month before the CSAT: wear them during the test and the year's score is void and next year's attempt is blocked.
It blew up at the essay exams first
On Oct. 3 an examinee wearing smart glasses was caught at the University of Seoul's natural-sciences essay test, after a proctor grew suspicious of the unusually thick frames and asked headquarters to check.
On Oct. 10 at Yonsei's math essay exam, an examinee passed the pre-exam check in ordinary glasses and then swapped to smart glasses mid-test. Yonsei is weighing follow-up steps, including a criminal complaint.
What happens at the CSAT
On Oct. 15 the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) published the 2027 CSAT guidelines. Wearing smart glasses or a smartwatch during the exam without handing it in before Period 1 voids that year's exam and suspends eligibility for one year. Even carrying them in a bag counts as possessing a banned item, which also voids the exam.
KICE's banned list names phones, smartwatches, smart glasses, tablets and earphones side by side. "I wasn't going to use them" won't help.
If a proctor asks you to take them off
If a proctor requests a check, examinees must remove their glasses, put them on the desk and cooperate. Refusing can be treated like serious misconduct.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin told the National Assembly audit on Oct. 7 that offenders would lose eligibility for the year and face restrictions the next. Radio-frequency detectors, he said, are hard to deploy this year because every exam site differs.
Checklist for test-takers and parents
The CSAT is on Nov. 19. If you own smart glasses, safest is to leave them at home. If you must bring them, hand them in before Period 1 as instructed.
Prescription glasses are fine, but comply right away with any check. KICE has also posted a video of the guidelines on its CSAT site.
