Controversy over Question 23 of Turkey's 2026 University Entrance Exam; Student Sues Assessment Center

Shock to Turkish Exam Candidates with Sudden Answer Key Change

The 2026 Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) in Turkey has once again been accompanied by scientific and legal controversies. After technical reviews, the Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) announced that the answer key for question number 23 in the Field Qualification Test (AYT) mathematics booklet was changed from option "C" to option "A" [2]. This question, which pertained to the topic of derivatives in mathematics, immediately sparked a wave of protests among students who had planned based on the initial key following the announcement of preliminary results.

In addition to this change, ÖSYM completely canceled another question in the Literature and Social Sciences section (Question 20), but the change in the mathematics answer has had a broader impact on the final rankings of candidates due to the competitive nature of this subject [1].

Formal Complaint by Sakarya Candidate: "I Fell Behind by 2.25 Net Points"

Doruk Kerem Atam, an 18-year-old candidate who took the exam in the city of Sakarya, is the first person to file a lawsuit against this decision by the assessment center in administrative court. In an interview with the newspaper "Türkiye Gazetesi," he stated that this sudden change caused his net score to decrease by approximately 2.25 units [1].

Atam said: "I had worked hard to achieve top rankings, and this change in the answer was a major blow to my efforts. Simply changing the option is not enough, as the ambiguity in the wording of the question caused confusion for many of us. My demand is the complete cancellation of this question to ensure educational justice" [5]. He believes that changing the option instead of cancellation has caused an unfair shift for thousands of people in the ranking queue.

Legal Process and the Possibility of Full Cancellation of Question 23

With the filing of this complaint, the case has been referred to the administrative court. According to judicial procedures in Turkey, the court will first request a formal defense from ÖSYM and then appoint a scientific committee consisting of university professors (official experts) for a technical review of Question 23 [3].

Legal experts predict that if the expert committee determines the question has scientific ambiguity or more than one correct answer, the court will rule for the complete cancellation of the question [4]. If a cancellation ruling is issued, the assessment center is obliged to recalculate all report cards and announce new rankings, which could delay the 2026 university placement process.

ÖSYM's Readiness for "Plan B"

Reports indicate that despite defending its decision, ÖSYM has prepared for potential court scenarios. The organization has drafted an "alternative plan" or Plan B to perform score calculations based on the remaining 39 math questions (instead of 40) in the shortest possible time if the court issues a cancellation ruling [3]. Educational experts have advised candidates to follow official news closely until the final court verdict is issued, as changes in rankings could alter the placement fate of many applicants.