YKS vs YOS: Which Turkish University Entrance Exam Applies to You

Two exams for two different applicant pools

Turkey runs two separate routes into its universities. YKS (Yuksekogretim Kurumlari Sinavi) is the national exam for students counted as domestic applicants. YOS (Yabanci Uyruklu Ogrenci Sinavi), now largely centralized by OSYM as TR-YOS, is the route for foreign national applicants. The exam you sit depends on your citizenship history and where you completed secondary school, not simply which passport you hold.

YKS: the exam for domestic applicants

YKS runs in two stages. TYT (Temel Yeterlilik Testi) tests basic literacy and numeracy, and AYT (Alan Yeterlilik Testi) tests subject knowledge in your chosen field. Students applying to foreign-language departments also sit YDT. Results feed into a national ranking that places you into public and private university programs based on your score and your preference list.

You sit YKS if you are a Turkish citizen who completed secondary education in Turkey, or if you fall outside the specific foreign-student categories that YOK defines for the YOS route.

YOS/TR-YOS: the exam for foreign national applicants

YOS exists for applicants who count as foreign nationals under Turkish higher education rules. This includes non-Turkish citizens. It also includes dual nationals and Turkish citizens who completed their entire secondary education abroad, under specific YOK criteria that shift between admission cycles. Since OSYM introduced a joint version, TR-YOS, many universities accept it instead of running a separate in-house exam.

TR-YOS tests general aptitude and basic maths through 80 questions in 100 minutes. In 2026, OSYM runs two sessions: TR-YOS 2026/1 on 12 April, with results on 7 May, and TR-YOS 2026/2 on 11 October, with results on 5 November. Applications for the first 2026 session run from 14 January to 3 February, with a short late-application window from 9 to 11 February. The exam fee is 50 USD, and you apply individually through the OSYM TR-YOS portal .

Some universities still run their own YOS exam

Not every Turkish university relies only on TR-YOS. Several state universities administer their own YOS exam and publish their own score thresholds, quotas, and calendar on their international office pages. If your target university runs its own exam, check that university's page directly, since its dates and passing scores will not match the OSYM calendar.

How universities set YOS score requirements

There is no single national passing score for YOS. Each university's faculty board sets its own minimum score and quota for every program, and thresholds shift year to year with applicant volume. Competitive programs such as medicine, dentistry, and engineering at well-known universities set higher minimums than less competitive programs at newer institutions. Check your target program's admission page for its current-year score requirement before you register for the exam.

Which exam applies if you are a European dual national or from the Turkish diaspora

This is where families get confused most often. If you are a Turkish citizen who completed all of your secondary schooling in Turkey, you sit YKS, even if you also hold a European passport. If you hold foreign citizenship, or you are a dual TC/foreign national who completed secondary school abroad, you normally fall into the foreign-student category and apply through YOS.

The exact eligibility line has specific conditions attached, including where and when you gained each citizenship and where you attended secondary school. These conditions are set by YOK and shift between admission cycles. If your family background includes both Turkish and European citizenship, confirm your current eligibility with your target university's international office before you commit to either exam track, rather than assuming based on a previous year's rule.

Language and diploma requirements alongside the exam

A YOS or TR-YOS score is not the only requirement. If your program teaches in Turkish, universities expect a Turkish language proficiency certificate, often from a TOMER course or the university's own preparatory year, alongside your exam score. If your program teaches in English, you need an English test result such as IELTS or TOEFL, or the university's own placement exam, unless your prior education was fully in English.

You also need your foreign high school diploma recognized as equivalent to a Turkish diploma (denklik), issued through a Turkish education directorate or your local Turkish consulate before enrollment. Start this recognition process early, since it runs on its own timeline separate from the exam and application calendar.

What happens after you pass YOS or TR-YOS

A passing YOS score does not place you automatically. You still apply directly to each university's international admissions office with your score, high school transcript, and diploma equivalence documents, and the university builds its own ranked list from everyone who applied to that specific program. Apply to several universities and programs in parallel, since your best TR-YOS score might clear one university's threshold for a program while falling short at a more selective one.

Choosing between the two routes

If you qualify for YOS, it is usually the more accessible route: a shorter exam, lower stakes on a single test day, and score requirements that sit well below YKS levels at most universities. If you only qualify for YKS, you compete against the full domestic applicant pool, so your preparation timeline should match Turkish students', including tutoring or dershane-style preparation if you target selective programs such as medicine or law.

Whichever route applies to you, register early. TR-YOS application windows are short, and popular in-house university YOS exams close registration weeks before the test date.