Controversy in Turkey's University Entrance Exam; Call to Correct AYT Math Answer Key

Today, June 23, 2026, as millions of candidates in Turkey await the results of the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS), heated debates have surfaced in educational media regarding a question in the AYT mathematics booklet. According to reports published on the specialized website PervinKaplan.com, mathematics experts and teachers believe the official answer key for a crucial question must be changed or the question should be canceled entirely [1].

Details of the Disputed Question in the Mathematics Exam The AYT exam, held on June 21, 2026, included 40 mathematics and geometry questions that play a decisive role in the ranking of candidates in the fields of mathematics and science [3]. Current protests focus on a question that math teachers say has two different solving methods leading to two separate answers. Ugur Ozcan, a mathematics teacher at FMV Işık High School, stated in an interview that if the question is solved with a focus on "area," option A is correct, but if the candidate proceeds based on the "graph," they reach option C [1].

Why is the Option Announced by ÖSYM Questioned? In the preliminary answer key released on the evening of June 21, ÖSYM identified option C as the correct answer. However, Ozcan and many other educational specialists emphasize that the question is designed in a way that, scientifically, option A is the more accurate answer [1]. This contradiction has led candidates to demand immediate clarification on social media using hashtags related to the 2026 exam [2].

Impact on the Fate of 2.5 Million Candidates Given that approximately 2.5 million people participated in the exam marathon this year, even a single question can shift a candidate's rank by thousands of places. Many students have expressed concern that failing to correct this error could violate the rights of candidates who reached option A using the correct scientific method [1]. As of now, ÖSYM has not issued an official reaction to these protests, but it is expected that with increasing media pressure, the question will be referred to a scientific committee for re-evaluation.

Candidates and their parents are now closely following news regarding a possible correction to the answer key, as any change in the key could completely transform estimated rank calculations.