SNPMB Committee Uncovers 27 Cases of UTBK 2026 Cheating
The SNPMB 2026 Selection Committee has uncovered 27 cases of cheating during the Computer-Based Written Test (UTBK) this year, with the majority involving applicants targeting medical programmes.
Eduart Wolok, Chairman of the SNPMB 2026 Oversight Committee, stated that the cheating practices were detected even before the exams began and during their execution. ‘We detected all 27 cases during this year’s UTBK and have initiated procedures to disqualify them from the SNBT,’ Eduart said during a press conference announcing the results of the National Selection Based on Tests (SNBT) on Monday, 25 May 2026.
Eduart revealed all cheating cases this year involved applicants targeting medical programmes, with most detected on the first and second days of UTBK when medical students took the exam. ‘Medical programmes are scheduled on the first and second days, which is when the majority of applicants for this field sit the test,’ he said.
Eduart noted that this year’s cheating practices differed from previous years; whereas past cases were only detected after exams concluded, this year’s were identified earlier through data and photo verification.
The committee also found indications of a structured and widespread network behind the cheating, with Eduart suggesting certain parties were involved in falsifying applicant data. ‘This joki practice is structured and organised, extending beyond just the proxies,’ he said. ‘Criminal elements are present, including data forgery and other offences.’
However, Eduart stated no direct involvement of university insiders had been found in these cases.
The SNPMB committee previously monitored 2,940 anomalous applicant records, but Eduart clarified not all were proven fraudulent. ‘We did not assume all were cheating; some anomalies were rational,’ he said.
As an initial sanction, students proven to have used proxy services are blacklisted from public university admissions. The committee is currently reviewing the penalty duration, ranging from two to three years or possibly a lifetime ban. ‘Some propose three years, others a lifetime ban; we are still evaluating,’ Eduart said.
He also revealed UTBK proxy fees vary widely, from hundreds of millions to Rp700 million per applicant. ‘Some cases involve Rp300 million, Rp400 million, even up to Rp700 million,’ he said.
Besides the cheating cases, 871,000 applicants took the UTBK-SNBT 2026, with approximately 256,000 successfully passing the selection.
Eduart added that around 186,000 seats remain available through independent admission channels at public universities for those who did not pass SNBT. ‘Those who failed can still apply for seats via each university’s independent selection process,’ he said.