Turkey's 2026 YKS Exam Sparks AI Test, Question Errors and Guidance Surge
The 2026 Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı (YKS) concluded on 21 June with over 2.4 million candidates. Social‑media users highlighted several developments. Professor Behçet Yalın Özkara uploaded a video showing Gemini‑based AI answering the full exam, noting eleven mistakes overall and particular difficulty in mathematics.
Controversy also erupted over two exam questions. In the Turkish literature section a character from Halide Edib Adıvar’s novel Handan was printed as “Nermin” instead of the correct “Neriman,” prompting calls for cancellation. A separate mathematics question involving a derivative‑graph answer key faced similar scrutiny. Educators and candidates demanded official clarification from ÖSYM.
In response to the results, experts urged students to focus on success rankings rather than raw scores when selecting university programmes. Gonca Kırpıkoğlu emphasized analysing university facilities, international collaborations and personal fit, while stressing the strategic use of the 24‑choice preference system.