Text:
The name of the rice cake is a pun to pass a test.
합격하다(hapgyeokhada) – to pass (a test)
붙다(butda) -to stick (to)
합격(hapgyeo) -Wish someone could stick right to

Context:
The informant actually never had this rice cake because they went to an international school, but they originally heard about it from their mother.
This rice cake is usually eaten before Suneung (수능), College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). The informant described it as the most important event, arguably in a Korean student’s life; it is a test that determines one’s entire future- career prospects, income, and personal relationships. It is eight hours long and spans over an entire day, the student must take every subject exam within that window of time. Traffic is discourage on that day to make the country as quiet as possible.
The informant explains there are a lot of ritual around CSAT to gather luck, and Chapssaltteok is one of this to help the student stick to the highest possible score. Oppose to the rice cake, the students are not allowed to eat seaweed because it is slippery.

Analysis:
Chapssaltteok appears during liminal moments and transitional phases in a person’s life, in this case, passing exams. It functions as a rite of passage to bind good outcomes to the person or event. It is a ritual food for protection and luck and a symbol of cohesion.