ÖSYM clouded by another exam crisis

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

After disputes of cheating and claims that test questions were leaked erupted last year around the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) is facing similar trouble for its “forgetfulness in calculating the scores” of candidates entering the University Entrance Exam (LYS). 

According to claims, ÖSYM forgot to calculate the mathematics and science scores of students from Turkish-mathematics departments, and the Turkish-mathematics scores of students from social sciences. The success order of 870,000 students will change after the mistake is corrected. About half of the 200,000 eliminated candidates, who failed to meet the passing grade of 180 points, will have the right to choose universities. 
 
Upon the Council of State’s July 18 decision to stop using individual success in determining university placement scores, ÖSYM began recalculating the placement scores that same day at 5:30 p.m. This time the Weighted High School GPA (AOBP), which shows the individual’s school performance, was considered when calculating scores. The results were announced about 39 hours later, on July 20 at 8:30 a.m. 
 
Along with the placement results, ÖSYM declared the distribution of scores on its official website. However, although the number of students entering the exam was nearly the same two years in a row; a great change was observed in the number of students exceeding the passing score. When the distribution of the scores according to the school type and departments are considered in the charts published by ÖSYM, the biggest change was observed in the scores of those graduated from Turkish-mathematics departments whose mathematics-science scores were also calculated. 

In 2011, the number of students from Turkish-mathematics departments exceeding the passing limit in the mathematics-science section was 139,494. That number decreased to 26,711 this year. A similar conflict was also observed in the Turkish-mathematics scores of students whom had graduated from social sciences department. Upon claims that scores were wrongly calculated the ÖSYM indicated that the exam results were reviewed again and there was no mistake in calculations.