House Speaker seeks stronger oversight on state college entrance exam
“The various instances of cheating still occurring in the 2026 UTBK pose a challenge to the integrity of national educational competition,” she said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.
She highlighted cases of cheating during this year’s UTBK, which began on April 21. A total of 2,640 participants were identified as having engaged in fraudulent activities.
The committee uncovered various methods, ranging from the use of proxies with fake identities and forged documents to hidden communication devices and manipulative tactics designed to deceive proctors.
Furthermore, the committee detected the presence of cheating syndicates, which now face potential criminal charges.
“When the selection is infiltrated by systematically planned manipulative strategies, it is no longer just a matter of exam violations, but one that concerns the very foundation of educational ethics,” she stressed.
With 871,496 participants competing for approximately 260,000 seats at state universities, the House speaker emphasized the importance of upholding meritocracy in the selection process.
She urged the government and the nationwide exam committee to adapt their oversight systems and technology, as methods used for cheating are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
Maharani also emphasized that the state must maintain integrity by updating the system to be more adaptive and based on mitigation.
This is seen as crucial, as the success of the selection system is measured not only by the number of violations uncovered but also by the state’s ability to prevent cheating.
This phenomenon is also considered a reflection of the social pressure surrounding educational outcomes. Therefore, she warned that cheating must be addressed with a comprehensive perspective, rather than solely through the lens of technical oversight.
“Academic honesty cannot be shaped in the exam room alone; it must be an integral part of the educational process from the very beginning,” she said, concluding her statement.
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Translator: Fath Putra, Raka Adji