Exams and language certificates: which do you need?
A short explanation of the main exams. Each university’s minimum score comes from that university’s recorded requirement.
Which exam do universities in Turkey and Northern Cyprus ask for?
English-taught programs usually ask for an English certificate such as IELTS, TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic, and Turkish-taught programs for a Turkish certificate such as TÖMER. Some Turkish public universities ask for the TR-YÖS entrance exam. Without a language certificate, many universities offer a language prep year.
The main exams
IELTS
EnglishThe most common English certificate for English-taught programs. Scored from 0 to 9.
For: English-taught bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programs
TOEFL iBT
EnglishAn internet-based English test scored from 0 to 120. Some universities accept only TOEFL or PTE.
For: English-taught bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programs
PTE Academic
EnglishA computer-based English test scored from 10 to 90. Check the table below to see which universities accept it.
For: English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs
TÖMER
TurkishA Turkish language certificate issued by universities’ Turkish teaching centres, at levels A1 to C2. Each university sets the level it needs.
For: Turkish-taught programs
TR-YÖS
Entrance examThe entrance exam for international students run by ÖSYM, Turkey’s assessment centre. Many Turkish public universities accept it; private universities usually admit students on their school records.
For: Bachelor’s programs at Turkish public universities
Minimum language scores by university
| University | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | PTE | Other test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acıbadem | Not on the official list | 80 | 67 | — |
| Altınbaş | — | 65 | 55 | — |
| BAU | Not accepted | 72 | 55 | — |
| EMU | 5.0 (medicine 6.0) | — | — | — |
| Haliç | — | 72 | 67 | — |
| Aydın | — | 79 | — | YDS 80 |
| Medipol | 6.5 | 84 | — | — |
| İstinye | 6.0 | 75 | — | — |
| Biruni | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
| CIU | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
| Okan | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
| Near East | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
| Üsküdar | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
| Yeditepe | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified | Being verified |
“—” means the test is not part of that university’s recorded requirement. “Being verified” means the requirement has not been matched yet, so we publish no number.
No language certificate?
Many universities give a conditional offer with a one-year language prep program, paid on top of tuition (for example, USD 5,500 at Acıbadem). Usually, if you pass the university’s own language exam at the end of the year, you start the first year of your program.