SEOUL, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korean students on Thursday took an annual college entrance exam, seen as an all-important test in the education-obsessed country.

The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), which started from 8:40 a.m. local time, would run through 5:40 p.m. at 1,190 test sites nationwide, according to the education ministry.

This year, a total of 594,924 high school students and graduates registered to take the nine-hour exam, which is believed here to determine their course of life and future professions.

The score a student earns from the test is a key decider of college entrance. In South Korean society, graduating from a prestigious university is crucial in obtaining a successful job.

The government took measures to control traffic and reschedule the morning rush hour to help students arrive on time at the test sites.

Under government orders, public offices opened an hour later than usual to alleviate traffic jam during the morning rush hour. The local bourse also opened an hour later.

Buses and subways extended rush-hour services by two hours to help all test-takers arrive on time, and traffic was restricted by police within 200 meters of test centers.

All airplane takeoffs and landings will be suspended for 25 minutes from 1:10 p.m. during the listening section of an English exam as part of the noise-control measures.

The CSAT consists of five sections, including the Korean language, mathematics, English, the Korean history and natural sciences and the second foreign language and Chinese character.