“Nermin Error” at Turkey’s Assessment Center; Massive Shifts in Exam Rankings

Shock to Turkish Exam Candidates in 2026

While thousands of students in Turkey were preparing for university selection and enrollment, news released by the Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) sent a major shock through the educational community. According to published reports, a technical error dubbed the “Nermin Error” in the media has caused serious changes to the final rankings of candidates [1]. This error, initially identified through individual reviews, has now turned into a national crisis in the field of education.

What is the Nermin Error and How Did It Occur?

The term “Nermin Error” refers to a case where a mistake in recording the scores or answer sheets of a candidate (symbolically named Nermin, or based on the first identified case) led to the discovery of a system bug in the ranking algorithm. According to a report by “Finans Gündem,” this error caused calculation weights for a large portion of candidates to be applied incorrectly, and as a result, the announced ranks did not match the students' actual performance [1][2]. Experts believe this mistake occurred at the software stage during the integration of scores from different exams.

Widespread Impact on the Educational Fate of Thousands

A change in rankings is not just a simple number; in Turkey’s competitive exam system, a shift of even a few spots can completely eliminate a candidate's chance of admission into popular fields like medicine or engineering. Reports indicate that the rankings of some candidates shifted by several thousand places [2]. This issue has triggered a wave of protests on social media and gatherings of families in front of assessment center buildings in various cities. Many candidates are demanding full transparency and accountability from officials regarding this disorder.

Official Response from the Assessment Center (ÖSYM)

Following rising criticism, the head of Turkey’s Assessment Center issued an official statement apologizing to candidates and their families, stating that technical teams are working around the clock to correct the data [3]. He emphasized that no candidate should worry about their rights being violated and that all rankings will be reviewed and re-announced based on actual answer sheets. The organization also announced that the deadline for university selection will be extended so that candidates have enough time to decide after the corrected results are published [3].

Historical Context and the Need for Structural Reforms

This is not the first time Turkey’s assessment center has faced such challenges, but the scale of the “Nermin Error” in 2026 has been described as unprecedented. Educational analysts believe that the recurrence of such incidents indicates an urgent need to update digital infrastructure and implement stricter supervision over the paper correction processes. Currently, all eyes are on the official ÖSYM website for the release of the new and corrected list of rankings to see how much this calculation error will change this year’s educational map.