Complaints alleging misuse of exam accommodations in the Pancyprian entrance examinations have been raised by the high school parents’ union, which claims some students may have presented false medical certificates to obtain additional time in written exams.

In the union’s statement issued on Tuesday, said it had received reports suggesting that senior students were securing an extra half hour in examinations through disputed documentation.

The organisation’s president, Loizos Konstantinou stated that the issue concerns “the presentation of false certificates regarding learning difficulties by senior students, so that they have an extra half hour during the written exam”.

He added that complaints were made by parents and that they relate to two schools in Paphos, while also remarking that the number of students requesting exam facilitations has increased by around 100 compared to five years ago.

The organisation said it had contacted the education ministry seeking clarification yet had not yet received a response.

The education ministry said it has not received any official complaint regarding the allegations, but confirmed that accommodations are granted through a special committee established under legislation governing the Pancyprian entrance examinations system.

It said the purpose of the framework is to ensure fairness and equal access for candidates with documented needs.

Officials stated that accommodations are intended for students with verified educational or health requirements, describing them as “an important institutionalised process which ensures the equal participation of candidates with documented educational or other needs”.

The ministry added that the system is based on equal treatment and merit.

For the examinations this year, the ministry said additional time was approved for candidates following assessment by district special education committees and, in a small number of cases, following review of medical documentation for students with serious health conditions.

The ministry reiterated that “the credibility and prestige of the Pancyprian examinations are a non-negotiable priority”, adding that any complaint of attempted fraud would be referred to the competent state authorities for investigation.

The Pancyprian entrance examinations are Cyprus’s national exams used to determine admission to public universities locally and in Greece based on candidates’ performance in written subjects and assessed under a standardised system of equal conditions for all students.