[비즈한국] A middle school third-year student named Kim visited a semiconductor meister high school information session with his parents last month. Believing that finding a job is difficult even after graduating from university, they decided that a specialized high school, where he could learn the semiconductor field early and get employed immediately after graduation, might be a more realistic choice. With the number of new schools opening and variations in employment records and linked companies by region, Kim is currently contemplating which school to apply to.
Job market heats up after Hynix abolishes academic qualification requirements
Since SK Hynix completely abolished academic qualification requirements in its recent entry-level job recruitment on the 17th, the so-called "Hynix Exam" fever is intensifying in the job market. This is because expectations for a semiconductor boom and high performance bonuses have grown, and a path for application regardless of academic background has opened up. As students even consider entering meister high schools with the goal of working in the semiconductor sector instead of going to university, the heat is spreading to the entrance exam scene.
According to the bookstore industry on the 26th, prep materials for the SK Competency Test (SKCT) have topped the sales rankings for job-related study books at major online and offline bookstores. With applicants rushing to prepare for the written screening, the demand for related materials has risen rapidly.
At Yes24, a SKCT prep book published by Eduwill ranked first in the weekly comprehensive bestseller list for the e-book and job/certification fields. At Kyobo Book Centre, Hacker's integrated basic textbook for the SK Competency Test took the No. 1 spot in the daily bestseller list for the job/study book category, followed by LetU Edu's SKCT integrated basic textbook.
The education industry has also launched courses targeting recruitment demand. Hackers opened an "SK Hynix Short-Term Pass" course last April. The tuition is 159,000 won, and it includes SK Hynix corporate analysis, job-specific employment strategies, resume writing, semiconductor job training, SKCT preparation, image making and speaking training, as well as 1-minute self-introductions and final interview preparation. Job Dong School also launched a short-term course for SKCT preparation this month.
"I want to go to a contract department or semiconductor high school": Meister high school admission sessions are packed
The popularity of semiconductor companies is also confirmed in university admissions. For the 2026 academic year early admissions, a total of 2,478 students applied to semiconductor contract departments at Korea University, Sogang University, and Hanyang University, which have recruitment agreements with SK Hynix, recording an average competition rate of 30.98 to 1. This is a 38.7% increase compared to last year.
In the regular admissions, the acceptance scores for SK Hynix contract departments were 98 points for Hanyang University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering and 97 points for Korea University's Department of Semiconductor Engineering, which are higher than the 95.8-point average for general natural science departments at Seoul National University. As contract departments that guarantee employment become the top choice for high-ranking examinees, a trend of prioritizing career paths after graduation over university prestige is becoming evident.
Semiconductor meister high schools are also popular among parents. Currently, semiconductor meister high schools are operating in North Chungcheong, Daegu, South Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang provinces, and in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, the Yongin Semiconductor High School, the first semiconductor-specialized meister high school in the province, will open next March. Seoul Semiconductor High School is also scheduled to open next year.
The admission information session held on the 20th by the Korea Semiconductor Meister High School in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was fully booked quickly as middle school students and parents flocked to it. The school stated, "Due to the overwhelming support, the 3rd information session scheduled for next month is also fully booked," and separately announced the schedule for the 4th information session to be held in September.
Academic barriers lowered, but test competition may become fiercer
As SK Hynix has abolished academic restrictions starting from this year's recruitment, the applicant pool is expected to widen significantly. The company announced that it would delete conditions such as a four-year bachelor's degree that were previously specified in recruitment notices and evaluate applicants based on job experience, competency, growth potential, and fit with corporate culture.
In the actual job market, interest in SK Hynix is indeed rising. According to JobKorea's '2026 Corporate Preference Report', SK Hynix was ranked No. 1 as the company job seekers most want to work for. It was followed by Samsung Electronics005930, Naver035420, Toss, and Hyundai Motor Company005380.
However, some analysts point out that the abolition of academic restrictions does not necessarily mean the lowering of recruitment thresholds. Since the pool of eligible applicants has widened, if the number of applicants increases, the competition for subsequent stages like the SKCT and job interviews could become even fiercer. It is also pointed out that as recruitment shifts from an academic-centric approach to a job-competency-centric one, the burden of private education and test preparation could become a new barrier to entry.