The annual College Scholastic Ability Test is taking place at some 12-hundred test sites across the nation on Thursday. 

The first segment of the state-administered college entrance exam, known in Korean as “suneung,” is a Korean language test, followed by sessions on math, English, Korean history and science. The fifth and final foreign language exam is set to end at 5:45 p.m.

Nearly 504-thousand-600 people applied to take the test this year, some 34-hundred fewer than last year.

This year’s exam is set to see a change in questions after the government decided to drop the so-called “killer questions” as part of education reforms.

Unlike the three previous exams, which were held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants can take the test without wearing masks.

Those with COVID-19 are not required to take the test at a separate venue this year, with the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation recommending such applicants wear KF-94 masks and eat lunch at sites especially set up for them.

The results will be released on December 8.