The key subjects of Korean language, mathematics and English on this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT) were considered far more difficult compared to last year.

The Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on Thursday announced the score results from the November 18 CSAT that determines eligibility for the 2022 academic year.

Although the institute previously said the level of difficulty was similar to previous years, the highest standard score in Korean language stood at 149 points, the second-highest to be recorded to date. Only 28 earned that score, compared to 151 last year. 

The standard score refers to the difference between a student's score and the average score of all test-takers. If the highest standard score is higher than last year, it means the average score is likely lower and the test was more difficult. 

The highest standard score in mathematics was 147 points, ten points higher than last year. In English, only six-point-25 percent of test-takers earned an evaluation score of 90 or higher to rank in the top tier, nearly half of last year's 12-point-66 percent.

Out of the total 448-thousand-138 students that took the latest CSAT, only received a perfect score.