During the Unified National Testing (ENT) in Kazakhstan in 2026, about 890 violations were detected, according to infohub.kz.
Gulzhan Dzharasova, chair of the Committee for Higher and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, noted at a briefing at the Central Communications Service that most violations were recorded before the exam began. "The majority occurred before the start. They were attempts to bring smartphones, phones, and other prohibited items. During the test, about 360 people violated the rules. They were removed from the exam, but there were no particularly unusual cases as such," she said.
Nauzhan Didarbek, deputy director of the National Testing Center, said that new methods of smuggling prohibited items appear every year. "This year, one such instance was an attempt to bring smart glasses. There were also attempts to bring a smartphone and a cheat sheet on an elastic band. There was also a case where a short girl came in size 43 shoes, with a smartphone hidden inside," she reported.
Didarbek added that more than 95,000 appeals were submitted during the ENT, including complaints about test content and technical issues. "152 appeals were granted, including 7 for technical reasons and 145 for content. We pay great attention to the development of test items, as they are developed in accordance with the state mandatory standard of secondary education and the textbooks developed by the ministry," she concluded.