Integrity in Assessment: Lessons from South Korea’s Midterm Examination Culture

Meila Rosianika

Midterm examinations at Wansan Girls’ High School (WGHS) in Jeonju offer a compelling portrait of discipline, integrity, and collective responsibility. Each morning before exams, homeroom teachers visit their respective classes to check attendance, confirm readiness, and ensure that students are mentally and physically prepared. This brief morning meeting is not a formality but a crucial moment of connection. Teachers can observe students’ moods, health, and overall condition, while reinforcing the importance of honesty and calmness before testing begins.

 During my observation, I noticed that homeroom teachers play a vital role throughout the exam period. Before the test, they display the daily exam schedule on the digital board, remind students of the rules, and collect all personal bags at the back of the classroom. 

They also gather electronic devices including smartphones, iPads, and smartwatches into a large, specially designed bag with labeled compartments for each student. After the test ends at 11:40 a.m., teachers return the devices carefully, maintaining order and accountability.

Interestingly, homeroom teachers return to their classrooms again after the exam sessions, checking attendance once more and ensuring that students are well. This consistent monitoring builds strong relationships and ensures that no student is overlooked. Such routines demonstrate how Korean schools embed emotional awareness and procedural precision within everyday academic practices.

Despite South Korea’s technologically advanced education system, assessments at WGHS remain paper-based and are monitored with remarkable seriousness by supervising teachers or designated substitutes. After completion, exam papers are shredded to maintain confidentiality and data security. The silence and order during the exam are striking. 

During the exam period, all students arrive on time, and neither teachers nor students ask to leave unless it is absolutely necessary, reflecting a strong culture of discipline and mutual respect. The only exceptions are third-grade students who have already secured employment, as the school officially allows them to work during this period under a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with industries and parents.

During midterm week, students do not receive a regular lunch but are provided with free nutritious snacks at 11:40 a.m. This considerate policy helps keep students energized while maintaining the smooth flow of the exams. 

Teachers and students are also allowed to leave school early at 11:40 a.m. during the exam period. This combination of rigorous academic discipline and thoughtful care exemplifies South Korea’s educational philosophy: structured yet empathetic. In the broader context, this system exemplifies the nation’s commitment to integrity and learning ethics. According to PISA 2022, South Korea ranked among the top ten globally in reading literacy, highlighting not only academic excellence but also the values of consistency, diligence, and honesty embedded in its schooling culture. The midterm process itself becomes a ritual of shared discipline, where students, teachers, and administrators collectively maintain trust and fairness.

South Korea’s testing culture embodies deep learning not through rote memorization but through structured habits and reflective persistence. Students are guided to perceive examinations not as moments of fear, but as opportunities to practice resilience and demonstrate self-regulation. This mindset aligns with the principles of the growth mindset, emphasizing progress over perfection.

Reflecting on this experience, I realized that what makes South Korea’s education exemplary is not the strictness of its rules, but the spirit of mutual respect behind them. The morning and afternoon meetings, the silence during tests, the careful handling of devices—all these practices teach students that integrity is a daily habit, not a single event. For educators in Indonesia and beyond, the true lesson is not in replicating the procedures, but in nurturing a culture where honesty, discipline, and empathy coexist as the foundation of learning.

Wearing batik on Monday morning

A view of the WGHS building from the school field.

The WGHS sports hall, located separately from the main school building.

The leaves have begun to welcome the coming autumn season

Collecting all the devices

The fitness room at WGHS is well-equipped with various exercise machines, including treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, weight machines, and stretching mats. There are also dumbbells, balance balls, and yoga equipment that students can use under supervision. The facility is supported by the government to encourage students to maintain their physical health alongside their academic growth.

Hellooo

Our happy faces after finishing the exam

Okay see you next week!

Mei

-Lesson Learned Week 5-