Kerala’s final-year MBBS students have raised concerns over the integrity of a university examination after six of the 15 questions in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Paper II: Gynaecology and Family Welfare) exam conducted by the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) on July 31 were found to have been reproduced almost verbatim from a model question paper published in advance on the university’s website. While there is no allegation of a paper leak, the repeated questions accounted for 40 per cent of the paper and 24 out of the total 100 marks, prompting students to question the fairness of the examination.
Gold 101.3FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station, has learned that an Onmanorama comparison found five of the six short-answer questions were identical to those in the model paper, while the sixth was only slightly modified. A group of students anonymously complained to KUHS through a dedicated email account, alleging that the overlap gave an unfair advantage to those who had relied heavily on the model paper. They also claimed the university has not acknowledged or responded to their complaint.
KUHS has admitted the lapse. Controller of Examinations Dr Anil Kumar said the model paper had been shared with both the external faculty member who prepared the question paper and the internal scrutiniser responsible for vetting it, but the repeated questions went unnoticed. He said faculty members from outside Kerala were engaged to prepare question papers and described the repetition as an oversight.
Students are divided over whether a re-examination should be held, with some arguing that the paper’s credibility has been compromised while others are unwilling to undergo the stress of writing the exam again. They also pointed to similarities between two long-answer questions and the model paper, although two independent gynaecologists told Onmanorama that the clinical scenarios and expected answers were substantially different.
The students’ complaint also raised concerns about the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), which began on August 5, arguing that allowing individual colleges to choose their own clinical cases and frame questions could lead to inconsistent standards and favour local students. They have urged KUHS to standardise OSCE cases across all colleges. However, Dr Anil Kumar rejected the proposal, saying centrally prepared cases would increase the risk of leaks and explaining that practical examinations are designed around real patients available on the day of the exam.
Students have further questioned recent changes in the appointment of practical examiners, alleging that requirements for external examiners from outside Kerala and outside the university zone have been gradually removed. KUHS defended the changes, saying they were made in line with National Medical Commission guidelines.
Although KUHS maintains there was no paper leak, the admission that six questions were lifted from a publicly available model paper has intensified calls from students for a review of question-setting, scrutiny and practical examination procedures to strengthen the credibility of medical examinations in Kerala.
