Turkish universities set their own admission rules for international students, so the exact list depends on the university and the programme. Most applications, though, are built from the same pieces: an entrance exam or accepted alternative, a high-school diploma, and proof of the teaching language.
1. An entrance exam
- TR-YÖS: the central exam for international applicants run by ÖSYM twice a year (numerical ability and basic maths). Some universities also hold their own YÖS.
- Many universities also accept international results such as the SAT, or national school-leaving exams, instead of YÖS. Check which ones your university lists.
2. Proof of language
- Turkish-taught programmes: a Turkish proficiency certificate, commonly at B2 or C1, or a preparatory year.
- English-taught programmes: an English certificate such as IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT, or the university's own English test.
A sensible order
- 1Choose two or three universities and read their international admission pages.
- 2Take a placement test for YÖS or SAT and for your teaching language, so you know how far you are.
- 3Prepare the entrance exam first; its dates come earliest.
- 4Prepare the language certificate in parallel, one level at a time.
Requirements change every year. Treat the university's own page as the final word.
How EXAMEV helps
EXAMEV has question banks for TR-YÖS, SAT, IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT and Turkish proficiency from A1 to C1, with free placement tests, so you can prepare for every exam on one platform.