About Foreign Student Exam (YOS)

By Justin Mays:

What is the YÖS exam?

YÖS exam (Yabancı Öğrenci Sınavı) is the examination that foreign national high school diploma graduates take to enter Turkish universities. Based on the score and points obtained in the YOS exam, they can choose a major and be admitted to public universities. To prepare and pass the YÖS exam with a score above 90, most candidates must participate in YÖS classes face-to-face or online.

Some private universities also accept students with this test.

The YÖS exam is held annually in April, May, and June. (In case of restrictions, the exams are delayed.

This exam is held on days announced by each university separately. The YOK Turkey Organization has also scheduled the MYOS, TRYOS, or Central YÖS exams. So far, at the time of writing the article, more details of this directive have not been announced, and as soon as we receive more information, we will inform you.

The question book of the YÖS exam is designed and presented in Turkish and English, and the candidates choose the language of the exam when registering. Some YÖS exams are also designed in Farsi. In total, 90% of YÖS phrases and questions are based on numbers, and candidates will not need to read the text.)

What is the central YÖS exam?

According to the latest news and directive, the YOK Organization must supervise all universities and higher education centers in Turkey. For better coordination between Turkish universities and to improve the quality of education, strategies, and techniques of higher education, YOS exams will be held centrally from 2022 onwards.

Medical, dentistry, pharmacy, law, and engineering applicants must participate in the MYÖS and TRYOS exams.

The topics included in the directive are as follows.

The International Student Examination (YÖS) was last held by ÖSYM in 2010, after which the processes of recruiting international students were handed over to our universities. Turkish universities generally welcomed this situation, and our universities carried out the process of accepting students from abroad in different ways. Under exam participation and acceptance of students from abroad, the issue of GPA and other factors has been left to the universities. Some universities accept students based on tests held abroad or without tests. Different universities often question the validity of these tests, which often give a negative perception of the Turkish higher education system due to less experience in the education system abroad.

Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Education, Head of the Turks Abroad and Related Communities, ÖSYM (Assessment, Admission and Evaluation Organization), and Turkish Education Foundation highlighted that the central exam model increases opportunities and technologies in attracting international students.

Laws and regulations enable monitoring and evaluation, reaching the goal of targeted internationalization in higher education, standard implementation, and considering those that guarantee quality compliance.

According to Article 45 of Law No. 2547:

Central Foreign Student Admission Test (MYÖS), which ÖSYM will hold from 2022 for;

Those who have completed their secondary education in institutions abroad or are in the process of graduating, including:

A) People with the nationality of a foreign country

B) Citizens of the Republic of Turkey

C) Citizens of Northern Cyprus, affiliated with Turkey

D) Mavi cardholders, will be able to participate in MYÖS.

Only the results of MYÖS (Central YÖS Exam) are used to admit medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, secretarial, and engineering students.

For fields other than those listed in the third article, in addition to the MYÖS (Central YÖS Examination), higher education institutions can accept international students based on criteria such as ABITUR, SAT, national tests of countries, high school diploma scores, etc.

To transfer between universities or to change majors, students enrolled in higher education institutions within the international student admission quota for the majors listed in Article 3 must also have the MYÖS (Central YÖS Exam).

The exam is in Turkish, German, English, French, Russian and Arabic.

The exam's content by the Higher Education Council of Turkey will be such that it evaluates the candidate's basic learning ability (mathematics, geometry, intelligence).

a) Citizens of Northern Cyprus who will be enrolled in secondary education institutions in Turkey from the academic year 2022-2023 include those who have renounced their Turkish citizenship and foreign nationals (to the exception of embassy schools and international private education institutions in the MOBIS system). These two categories must participate only in the national exam (YKS) to enter the university.

b) Blue card students and foreign nationals who graduated from secondary education institutions before the 2022-2023 academic year) study), can enter higher education institutions with the 2025 central YÖS exam and the national exam. From 2026 they can only enter with the YKS (national exam).

Foreign nationals studying in embassy schools and international private educational institutions in the MOBIS system, except those who have completed their secondary education in Turkey and have left their Turkish citizenship or blue card holders, by the council, Higher education is determined. MYÖS, YKS, ABİTUR, SAT (Central YÖS exam), national exams of countries, high school diploma scores, and the possibility of accepting students based on the criteria of the relevant university was decided in the meeting dated 23/06/2021 of the General Assembly of Higher Education.

What parts does the test include?

YÖS exam includes questions {mathematics, geometry, intelligence} at the high school level. Most of them contain 80 questions, 40 intelligence questions, 35 math questions, and five geometry questions. In some universities, the number of questions may be more or less than 80 questions. For example, math course questions can be more than 35 questions. The duration of answering the US exam is 100 to 120 minutes, depending on the policies of each university.

What are the rules and conditions for participating in the YÖS exam?

The YÖS exam, like all local and international exams, has specific conditions and rules that each person must follow. The conditions and rules of the YÖS exam are as follows:

The YÖS exam is for all ages as long as you follow the rules.

• Students should not use highlighters, tipex pens, and colored pencils.
• It is necessary to bring the original passport. Passport copies are not accepted at all.
• It is mandatory to have a scan and the original of a diploma or pre-university degree.
• The door of the examination area is closed after the specified time, and after that, students don't have the right to enter the examination area. In this case, there will be no refunds.
• Under no circumstances can you talk to the person next to you during the exam.
• It is strictly forbidden to carry a dictionary, electronic devices, and copying. If the CCTV camera captures it, you will be banned from the exam session and participation in this area.
• It is forbidden to have a wristwatch, smoke, and eat.
• Taking out the exam paper is allowed only in case of coordination.
• Leaving the exam venue without coordination is considered a violation.The test results are delivered only to the candidate, and the consequences of giving others personal information are the student's responsibility.
• You must have graduated from high school or been a final-year student.
• If you are a citizen of Turkey, but you completed your high school education outside of Turkey, you can participate in the YÖS exam.

• Individuals who are natives of Turkey are not allowed to participate in the YÖS exam.