South Korea's Suneung (CSAT)

South Korea's Suneung (CSAT) paralyzes the entire nation—flights ground, traffic halts, and police escort tardy students—during its listening section, reflecting an unhealthy national obsession with a single exam. This 8-hour marathon determines university placement, and a difference of just 3 questions can drop a student's rank by 50,000 places. The pressure is so extreme that suicide spikes 150% on results day, making it the most consequential yet psychologically damaging exam on this list.