Nearly 7,000 students took the Flemish medical entrance exam on 2 July 2026 at Brussels Expo, using pen and paper for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent fraud with AI chatbots. The switch followed a cheating scandal last year in which five candidates were caught using ChatGPT during the digital exam.
The exam is the first of three admission tests for medical, dental, and veterinary studies in Flanders. A total of 6,961 students registered for the medical exam, 2,500 for dentistry (scheduled for 3 July), and 985 for veterinary medicine (scheduled for 4 July). Only the highest-ranked candidates earn a place at a Flemish university.
Last year, five participants were removed from the ranking after an investigation found they had opened ChatGPT in a separate browser tab during the digital exam. One candidate challenged the suspension at the Council of State and won, leading to their reinstatement. The controversy prompted the exam committee to revert to a centralized, paper-based format.
The exam is now held in a single large hall at Brussels Expo to ensure uniform conditions. Organizers are also distributing earplugs to candidates to eliminate any risk of cheating. Students described intense preparation, with some reporting over 300 hours of study since January, and high nerves on the day.
