Fifteen universities in Seoul are preparing 2028 admissions rules that would restrict applications from students taking the college entrance process again after graduation, adding a new complication for families already weighing whether a second attempt is worth the risk. The change arrives alongside a broader overhaul of the national college entrance system and creates a sharper divide between students applying directly from high school and older applicants.
Concern about repeating a year is already visible in this year's exam population. The number of repeat and other non-current students registered for the college entrance exam reached 196,473, the highest level in 23 years and about 14,000 more than last year. Students graduating under the current system face uncertainty because the exam and school-record structure will change for the 2028 admissions cycle.
A retake decision now carries an eligibility question
The practical effect is that a decision to retake the exam can no longer be treated simply as another chance at a higher score. Applicants need to check whether the universities and admissions tracks they are targeting will accept their educational record under the new rules. A restriction at 15 Seoul institutions is especially significant because the capital's universities attract applicants from across the country.
Universities will need to publish detailed eligibility rules for the 2028 cycle, and those documents will determine exactly which repeat applicants are affected. For students sitting the exam now, the policy shift makes admissions planning more time-sensitive: the consequences of postponing university entry may depend as much on institutional eligibility as on the score a student expects to improve.