EARTH-SCIENCE-II · CSAT (대학수학능력시험)
EARTH-SCIENCE-II/11
Earth Science II
Earth Science II · 2024 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE)
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
4.2 / 5
50
30 min
Seismic and geologic structure data, atmospheric/ocean models, HR diagrams, spectra, and cosmology evidence.
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
50
Duration
30 min
Session difficulty
4.2 / 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
KICE Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inqui…
KICE designs Earth Science II items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.
EBS-linked items about 50% means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.
The official timing is 30 min for 20 questions; pacing practice should match the actual OMR marking burden.
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
Skill weighting
Cognitive skills emphasised in official test design.
Conceptual models
Weight: 30100%Quantitative problem solving
Weight: 30100%Graphical and experiment interpretation
Weight: 2583%Scientific reasoning
Weight: 1550%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
Geophysics: Answering from memory before checking the condition in the stem. — Underline the limiting condition and restate it in your ow…
Climate systems: Treating a familiar source, graph, or scenario as identical to a past EBS example. — Compare variables and wording; tran…
Astronomy: Losing marks on easy items because time was spent on one high-difficulty question. — Use a two-pass strategy and mark unresolv…
Earth-system models: Eliminating options based on a keyword match rather than the full causal relationship. — Check subject, time period,…
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
KICE standard score (mean 50, SD 10; range 0–100) with percentile and Grade 1–9 bands
Scale band
Std score
Scale band
Percentile
Scale band
1
Scale band
2
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
1. Start from the model
Earth Science II items usually become easier once the physical, chemical, biological, or earth-system model is named. Write the law, cycle, or mechanism before substituting numbers.
2. Annotate every diagram
Label axes, units, directions, phases, and variables in seismic profiles, atmospheric sections, spectra, and HR diagrams. Most upper-level distractors come from reading a diagram too quickly.
3. Link formulas to meaning
For wave propagation, energy balance, stellar evolution, and circulation models, memorize what each symbol represents and the condition where the formula applies, not only the algebraic form.
4. Treat experiments as arguments
In multi-variable Earth-system data prompts questions, identify hypothesis, control, independent variable, dependent variable, and conclusion before choosing.
5. Use dimensional checks
When a numeric answer appears plausible, check units and order of magnitude. This catches most coefficient and power-of-ten errors.
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
Advanced geology and geophysics: minerals, rocks, structures, seismic waves
Official topic weighting
Earth interior
Official topic weighting
Atmosphere and ocean dynamics, climate systems, and energy transfer
Official topic weighting
Astronomy and astrophysics: stellar evolution, galaxies, spectra, universe
Official topic weighting
Earth-system modeling, resources, hazards, and environmental change
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
Advanced geology and geophysics: minerals, rocks, structures, seismic waves, Earth interior
Astronomy and astrophysics: stellar evolution, galaxies, spectra, universe
Atmosphere and ocean dynamics, climate systems, and energy transfer
Earth-system modeling, resources, hazards, and environmental change
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Earth Science II: 20 multiple-choice science inquiry questions
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
Advanced geology and geophysics: minerals, rocks, structures, seismic waves
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiEarth interior
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiAtmosphere and ocean dynamics, climate systems, and energy transfer
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiAstronomy and astrophysics: stellar evolution, galaxies, spectra, universe
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiEarth-system modeling, resources, hazards, and environmental change
Official topic weighting
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
KICE Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inqui…
- 2Message
KICE designs Earth Science II items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.
- 3Message
EBS-linked items about 50% means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.
- 4Message
The official timing is 30 min for 20 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.
- 6Pitfall
Geophysics: Answering from memory before checking the condition in the stem. — Underline the limiting condition and restate it in your ow…
- 7Pitfall
Climate systems: Treating a familiar source, graph, or scenario as identical to a past EBS example. — Compare variables and wording; tran…
- 8Pitfall
Astronomy: Losing marks on easy items because time was spent on one high-difficulty question. — Use a two-pass strategy and mark unresolv…
- 9Pitfall
Earth-system models: Eliminating options based on a keyword match rather than the full causal relationship. — Check subject, time period,…
- 10Strength
1. Start from the model: Earth Science II items usually become easier once the physical, chemical, biological, or earth-syste
- 11Strength
2. Annotate every diagram: Label axes, units, directions, phases, and variables in seismic profiles, atmospheric sections, spec
- 12Strength
3. Link formulas to meaning: For wave propagation, energy balance, stellar evolution, and circulation models, memorize what each
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
2024 2024
Earth Science II
KICE Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inquiry
KICE Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inqui…
KICE designs Earth Science II items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.
EBS-linked items about 50% means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.
Geophysics: Answering from memory before checking the condition in the stem. — Underline the limiting condition and restate it in your ow…
Climate systems: Treating a familiar source, graph, or scenario as identical to a past EBS example. — Compare variables and wording; tran…
- Total marks
- 50
- Duration
- 30 min
- Session difficulty
- 4.2 / 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 Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inquiry subjects and EBS linkage around 50%. Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE) emphasises seismic and geologic structure data, atmospheric/ocean models, hr diagrams, spectra, and cosmology evidence.. Priority revision: Advanced geology and geophysics: minerals, rocks, structures, seismic waves, Earth interior, Atmosphere and ocean dynamics, climate systems, and energy transfer, Astronomy and astrophysics: stellar evolution, galaxies, spectra, universe, Earth-system modeling, resources, hazards, and environmental change. Earth Science II items usually become easier once the physical, chemical, biological, or earth-system model is named. Write the law, cycle, or mechanism before substituting numbers.
Updated 2026-07-03
Paper breakdown
Earth Science II: 20 multiple-choice science inquiry questions
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by syllabus topic
Revision priority from official test-design weighting.
Mark accessibility
Estimated difficulty spread based on official design.
Seismic and geologic structure data, atmospheric/ocean models, HR diagrams, spec
Paper structure
Official paper breakdown for this subject.
Earth Science II
50·10·100%
Official syllabus scope
KICE Earth Science II deepens geology, geophysics, atmospheric/oceanic processes, astronomy, cosmology, and Earth-system modeling with advanced data analysis. The 2024 CSAT science inquiry format is 20 questions, 30 minutes, 50 points, with candidates selecting up to two inquiry subjects and EBS linkage around 50%.
Difficulty verdict
Rated 4/5 for November sessions. Seismic and geologic structure data, atmospheric/ocean models, HR diagrams, spectra, and cosmology evidence.
What examiners measure
1. Analyze mineral/rock processes, geologic structures, seismic evidence, and Earth interior models. 2. Interpret atmospheric dynamics, ocean circulation, climate systems, and energy balance. 3. Use astronomical measurements, stellar evolution, galaxies, and cosmological evidence. 4. Evaluate Earth-system models through graphs, maps, spectra, and observational records. 5. Connect advanced concepts across solid Earth, atmosphere, ocean, and space science.
Where the marks are
Highest-weight syllabus areas: Advanced geology and geophysics: minerals, rocks, structures, seismic waves, Earth interior; Atmosphere and ocean dynamics, climate systems, and energy transfer; Astronomy and astrophysics: stellar evolution, galaxies, spectra, universe; Earth-system modeling, resources, hazards, and environmental change.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- KICE designs Earth Science II items from the national curriculum achievement standards and publishes all questions and answers after the exam.
- EBS-linked items about 50% means concepts, source themes, or problem types are linked, but wording and contexts are commonly transformed.
- The official timing is 30 min for 20 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.
- Earth Science II uses graphs, diagrams, experiments, and model-based reasoning more than isolated factual recall.
- Science inquiry timing is tight; students should know which diagrams or calculations can be completed in under one minute.
- Paper 1: Earth Science II · 50 marks · 30 min · 20 multiple-choice science inquiry questions.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 30 min
- Total marks
- 50
- Weighting
- 100%
- Question types
- 20 multiple-choice science inquiry questions
- Earth Science II items usually become easier once the physical, chemical, biological, or earth-system model is named. Write the law, cycle, or mechanism before substituting numbers.
- Label axes, units, directions, phases, and variables in seismic profiles, atmospheric sections, spectra, and HR diagrams. Most upper-level distractors come from reading a diagram too quickly.
- For wave propagation, energy balance, stellar evolution, and circulation models, memorize what each symbol represents and the condition where the formula applies, not only the algebraic form.
Common mistakes
Geophysics
Answering from memory before checking the condition in the stem.
How to avoid: Underline the limiting condition and restate it in your own words before selecting an option.
Climate systems
Treating a familiar source, graph, or scenario as identical to a past EBS example.
How to avoid: Compare variables and wording; transformed linkage often changes the required inference.
Astronomy
Losing marks on easy items because time was spent on one high-difficulty question.
How to avoid: Use a two-pass strategy and mark unresolved items after 60-75 seconds.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.