It was a wild scene outside test centers as younger kids cheered on the heroic test-takers as they arrvied. Police motorcycles even whisked the late ones to school. But when it came time for the high schoolers to begin the grueling nine-hour exam, silence was the order. Planes were grounded, honking was banned. And teachers refrained from wearing squeaky shoes for fear of distracting the students. Relatives prayed outside the school gates for good results. 

 

 

 

Why all the fuss？Well, it's widely believed in South Korea that this test determines which college a student will go to, which company they will then work at, the size of their eventual paycheck, and even whom they'll marry. That's pretty intense pressure.