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ARABIC-I · CSAT (대학수학능력시험)

ARABIC-I/11

Arabic I

Arabic I · 2022 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Standard · 3.0/5

Analysis source: Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE)

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.0 / 5

Total marks

50

Duration

40 min

Most tested topic

Script recognition, connected letters, definite article, pronouns, basic verbs, and everyday reading.

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

50

Duration

40 min

Session difficulty

3.0 / 5

Calculator policy

No calculators in any CSAT section. All arithmetic must be done by hand. English includes a listening section with broadcast audio.

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points.

2

KICE designs Arabic I items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.

3

EBS-linked items aligned with level I curriculum means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.

4

The official timing is 40 min for 30 questions; pacing practice should match the actual OMR marking burden.

5

KICE publishes annual test-design directions (출제 방향) emphasising syllabus-faithful items, EBS textbook linkage (~50% of Korean, Mathematics, and English items), and post-2024 exclusion of extreme “killer” items outside public-education scope.

Question difficulty map

How candidates performed on each question in this series

No data available in official reports

Assessment objectives

Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary

Recognize Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading.
Use gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions…
Understand dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts.
Infer speaker intention, situation, and culturally appropriate response.
Apply Level I vocabulary and expressions accurately under timed conditions.

Skill weighting

Cognitive skills emphasised in official test design.

Reading comprehensionReadingcomprehensionVocabulary and expressionsVocabulary andexpressionsGrammar and usageGrammar andusageCulture and discourse ContextualCulture anddiscourse
SkillWeightShare
  • Reading comprehension

    Weight: 35100%
  • Vocabulary and expressions

    Weight: 2571%
  • Grammar and usage

    Weight: 2571%
  • Culture and discourse Contextual

    Weight: 1543%

Method marks watchlist

Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost

Method marks

Culture and communication: Using outside cultural assumptions instead of the clue in the passage. — Answer only from curriculum facts or explicit context in the item.

Recurring mistakes across years

Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject

Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading: Misreading a familiar-looking character, let…

2024 20242023 20232021 20212020 20204 sessions

gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions: Choosing a natural-sou…

2024 20242023 20232021 20212020 20204 sessions

dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts: Translating every word and running out of time on longer notices …

2024 20242023 20232021 20212020 20204 sessions

Culture and communication: Using outside cultural assumptions instead of the clue in the passage. — Answer only from curriculum facts or …

2024 20242023 20232021 20212020 20204 sessions

Question choice intelligence

Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)

No data available in official reports

Level exemplars

What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like

No data available in official reports

Grade & admission context

How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards

Official body

Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE)

Grading system

Absolute grading (KICE): Grade 1 = highest raw-score band (e.g. 45–50 out of 50 for language electives)

Scale band

1

Scale band

2

Scale band

3

Scale band

4

Deep insights

What top candidates did

Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series

1. Secure high-frequency vocabulary

Arabic I Level I is won through fast recognition. Build daily review decks for greetings, school life, travel, numbers, time, family, food, and common verbs.

2. Master the writing system

For Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading, practice reading aloud and matching sound to form until decoding no longer consumes question time.

3. Make grammar automatic

For gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions, drill short sentence transformations and choose answers by agreement, word order, tense, particles, or markers.

4. Read for situation first

In dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts, identify speaker relationship, purpose, place, and requested action before translating every word.

5. Use culture clues carefully

Culture items are curriculum-based. Learn common holidays, etiquette, school routines, and everyday expressions without relying on stereotypes.

Command word playbook

How to match each command word to the expected response style

No data available in official reports

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

No data available in official reports

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions

Official topic weighting

Grammar: gender/number, articles, pronouns, sentence types, verbs

Official topic weighting

Reading: practical texts, dialogue, notices, and short passages

Official topic weighting

Arab culture and everyday communication

Official topic weighting

MCQ trap analytics

Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary

No data available in official reports

Topic heatmap across years

Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject

Mark intensity

LowHigh
Topic
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Σ

Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions

15
15
15
15
15
75

Grammar: gender/number, articles, pronouns, sentence types, verbs

14
14
14
14
14
70

Reading: practical texts, dialogue, notices, and short passages

14
14
14
14
14
70

Arab culture and everyday communication

7
7
7
7
7
35

Difficulty trend

How session difficulty has shifted across recent years

20202021202220232024
2020 2020 · 3.0/52021 2021 · 3.0/52022 2022 · 3.0/52023 2023 · 3.0/52024 2024 · 3.2/5

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

Arabic I: 30 multiple-choice second foreign language / Hanja questions

50 marks40 min

Marks you can still earn

Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit

No data available in official reports

Practise what examiners flagged

Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points.

  • 2Message

    KICE designs Arabic I items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.

  • 3Message

    EBS-linked items aligned with level I curriculum means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.

  • 4Message

    The official timing is 40 min for 30 questions; pacing practice should match the actual OMR marking burden.

  • 5Message

    KICE publishes annual test-design directions (출제 방향) emphasising syllabus-faithful items, EBS textbook linkage (~50% of Korean, Mathematics, and English items), and post-2024 exclusion of extreme “killer” items outside public-education scope.

  • 6Method

    Culture and communication: Using outside cultural assumptions instead of the clue in the passage. — Answer only from curriculum facts or explicit context in the

  • 7Pitfall

    Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading: Misreading a familiar-looking character, let…

  • 8Pitfall

    gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions: Choosing a natural-sou…

  • 9Pitfall

    dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts: Translating every word and running out of time on longer notices …

  • 10Pitfall

    Culture and communication: Using outside cultural assumptions instead of the clue in the passage. — Answer only from curriculum facts or …

  • 11Strength

    1. Secure high-frequency vocabulary: Arabic I Level I is won through fast recognition. Build daily review decks for greetings, school lif

  • 12Strength

    2. Master the writing system: For Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading, pra

  • 13Strength

    3. Make grammar automatic: For gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negati

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

2022 2022

Arabic I

KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points. Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) emphasises

  • KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points.

  • KICE designs Arabic I items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.

  • EBS-linked items aligned with level I curriculum means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.

  • Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading: Misreading a familiar-looking character, let…

  • gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions: Choosing a natural-sou…

Total marks
50
Duration
40 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Calculator policy
No calculators in any CSAT section. All arithmetic must be done by hand. English includes a listening section with broadcast audio.

Session analysis

KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points. Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) emphasises script recognition, connected letters, definite article, pronouns, basic verbs, and everyday reading.. Priority revision: Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions, Grammar: gender/number, articles, pronouns, sentence types, verbs, Reading: practical texts, dialogue, notices, and short passages, Arab culture and everyday communication. Arabic I Level I is won through fast recognition. Build daily review decks for greetings, school life, travel, numbers, time, family, food, and common verbs.

Updated 2026-07-03

Paper breakdown

Arabic I: 30 multiple-choice second foreign language / Hanja questions

50 marks40 min

Top chapters

Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions15 marks
Grammar: gender/number, articles, pronouns, sentence types, verbs14 marks
Reading: practical texts, dialogue, notices, and short passages14 marks
Arab culture and everyday communication7 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by syllabus topic

Revision priority from official test-design weighting.

Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, a15 marks
Grammar: gender/number, articles, pr14 marks
Reading: practical texts, dialogue, 14 marks
Arab culture and everyday communicat7 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimated difficulty spread based on official design.

Script recognition, connected letters, definite article, pronouns, basic verbs,

26
47
27
Easy: 26 marksMedium: 47 marksHard: 27 marks

Paper structure

Official paper breakdown for this subject.

50Marks
  • Arabic I

    50·10·100%

Official syllabus scope

KICE Arabic I assesses Level I Arabic script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, reading, communication, and Arab culture. The 2024 CSAT second foreign language / Hanja format is 30 questions, 40 minutes, 50 points.

Difficulty verdict

Rated 3/5 for November sessions. Script recognition, connected letters, definite article, pronouns, basic verbs, and everyday reading.

What examiners measure

1. Recognize Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading. 2. Use gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions in short communicative contexts. 3. Understand dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts. 4. Infer speaker intention, situation, and culturally appropriate response. 5. Apply Level I vocabulary and expressions accurately under timed conditions.

Where the marks are

Highest-weight syllabus areas: Script, pronunciation, vocabulary, and expressions; Grammar: gender/number, articles, pronouns, sentence types, verbs; Reading: practical texts, dialogue, notices, and short passages; Arab culture and everyday communication.

Examiner notes & key calculations

  • KICE designs Arabic I items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.
  • EBS-linked items aligned with level I curriculum means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.
  • The official timing is 40 min for 30 questions; pacing practice should match the actual OMR marking burden.
  • Distractors usually represent common misconceptions, not random wrong answers, so elimination must be evidence-based.
  • High-discrimination items often combine two syllabus domains or require interpreting a new source, graph, table, or scenario.
  • A full mock should include answer-sheet transfer and a post-test error log organized by domain and mistake type.
  • Arabic I is built around Level I communicative competence, so everyday context clues matter as much as isolated vocabulary.
  • Second foreign language / Hanja papers reward breadth and speed; overinvesting in one hard grammar point can cost several straightforward reading items.
  • Paper 1: Arabic I · 50 marks · 40 min · 30 multiple-choice second foreign language / Hanja questions.

Exam tips

Paper format

Duration
40 min
Total marks
50
Weighting
100%
Question types
30 multiple-choice second foreign language / Hanja questions
  • Arabic I Level I is won through fast recognition. Build daily review decks for greetings, school life, travel, numbers, time, family, food, and common verbs.
  • For Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading, practice reading aloud and matching sound to form until decoding no longer consumes question time.
  • For gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions, drill short sentence transformations and choose answers by agreement, word order, tense, particles, or markers.

Common mistakes

  • Arabic alphabet, connected forms, short vowels, sun/moon letters, and right-to-left reading

    Misreading a familiar-looking character, letter, or pronunciation mark under time pressure.

    How to avoid: Drill minimal pairs and write the sound or meaning beside confusing forms during review.

  • gender, number, definite article, pronouns, nominal/verbal sentences, present/past verbs, negation, and questions

    Choosing a natural-sounding option that violates the Level I grammar pattern.

    How to avoid: Check agreement, word order, tense, particles, and endings before using intuition.

  • dialogues, signs, schedules, forms, messages, and short cultural texts

    Translating every word and running out of time on longer notices or dialogues.

    How to avoid: Find speaker, purpose, time, place, and requested action first.

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

ARABIC-I/11 — CSAT (대학수학능력시험) Arabic I (2022) | Revui