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A local school for Koreans studying for a U.S. nursing exam was caught giving lectures based on questions from previous exams, which is illegal. Test takers compiled the questions after the exam, which is required for those who want to become registered nurses in America.
The U.S.-based National Council of State Board of Nursing on April 16 suspended the nurse licensing exam in Korea. The exam had been given in Seoul since January 2005.
If the American Nurses Association (ANA) decides to permanently ban Korea as an exam site, applicants would have to go to Japan or Hong Kong to take it.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday said that the ANA had asked that the school be prevented from using the old exam questions, and in March declared that Korea would be banned as a test site if the situation didn't improve by April 15.
The Korean government including the Ministry of Health & Welfare and the Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development asked the school to stop using the questions.
Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade got involved in the issue and discussed the matter with related organizations earlier this year. The National Police Agency has even considered charging the school with intellectual property rights violations.
In 2005 some 1,234 Korean applicants passed the exam for a passing rate of 71.5 percent. That's far higher than the 40 to 50 percent passing rates in other countries such as Japan and Australia.
Due to language problems, however, the actual number of Korean applicants who were employed in the U.S. was 215 in 2005 and 66 in 2006.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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