During the O-Level English oral exam on July 15, 2026, 432 candidates reported discrepancies between the text prompt seen during their preparation and the prompt read aloud by examiners [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Nearly 5,000 candidates sat for the exam that day [2, 3, 4, 5].
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) investigated these reports and found no system malfunction or cybersecurity incident causing the discrepancies [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary said the discrepancies were not technical in nature nor deliberate or malicious, adding, "There was only one source that all candidates’ and examiners’ accounts accessed." He also noted, "Each application will be evaluated on its merit" for special consideration [1, 2].
The question involved, "Who do you think would go to a place like this for a haircut? Why do you say so?", was the same for both candidates and examiners [2, 3, 4, 5]. The 432 affected candidates came from approximately 200 different oral examiner teams, with no discernible pattern linking the incidents [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Candidates first viewed the text prompt and accompanying video for 10 minutes at a silent preparation station before being called to their oral examiner for assessment [1]. The reported discrepancies related to differences in candidates’ recollection of the prompt they saw during preparation versus what the examiner read aloud, rather than differences in the questions asked by examiners [1].
On the exam day, 173 candidates reported such discrepancies, with the total number rising to 432 over the following days [2, 3, 4, 5]. Some candidates experienced significant distress, prompting schools to assist them in applying for special consideration to review their grades [1].
Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary addressed the issue in Parliament on August 5, detailing the findings and ongoing support for affected candidates [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
