“TÖMER” is the name learners use for the Turkish teaching centres attached to Turkish universities (Türkçe Öğretimi Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi, Turkish Teaching Application and Research Centre). Each centre runs Turkish courses and its own Türkçe Yeterlik Sınavı (Turkish proficiency exam). Ankara University’s TÖMER is one of the oldest and best known, but there are centres at many other universities, and their certificates are used for university admission across Türkiye.
This guide explains what the exam is used for, how it is structured and scored, how it compares with the Yunus Emre Institute’s TYS, and how to prepare. Rules differ from one centre to another, so treat the numbers below as examples and always read the regulations of the centre where you will sit the exam.
What a TÖMER certificate is used for
- University admission. Turkish-taught degree programmes ask international students to prove their Turkish. Each university sets its own level, often programme by programme. C1 is the level most commonly required to start a degree directly; the Social Sciences University of Ankara, for example, describes C1 as the level at which you can study at a Turkish-medium university. Students who arrive with a lower level are often admitted on condition that they complete a Turkish preparatory programme or reach the required level within a set time; the exact rule is in each university’s admission regulations.
- Scholarship students. Students on Türkiye Scholarships usually spend a preparatory year at a TÖMER before their degree. See our guide to the Türkiye Scholarships Turkish preparatory year.
- Professional and specialist routes. Some employers, professional bodies and specialist training programmes ask for a certificate at a set level. Requirements change, so check the current guide of the institution concerned (for medical specialty training, the ÖSYM exam guide) rather than relying on second-hand advice.
- Citizenship. Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 (Article 11) lists “speaking enough Turkish” (yeteri kadar Türkçe konuşabilmek) among the conditions for the general, residence-based route. The law does not require a particular certificate, but a certificate is still a good way to prepare. Exceptional routes under Article 12, such as citizenship by investment, have no language condition. Our guide to Turkish citizenship requirements and the language test covers this in detail.
CEFR levels in practice
TÖMER courses and exams follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). In everyday terms:
| Level | What you can typically do |
|---|---|
| A1 | Greet people, give personal details, order food, use numbers and ask simple questions. |
| A2 | Handle routine tasks such as shopping, directions and appointments; talk about past and future plans in simple sentences. |
| B1 | Tell a story, give and explain opinions, write a simple formal email, follow clear everyday conversations. |
| B2 | Follow the news and longer discussions, argue a point, write structured texts with fewer errors. |
| C1 | Follow lectures and academic texts, express yourself fluently and precisely, adjust your style to formal and informal situations. |
Not sure where you are now? Take our free Turkish level test for a quick estimate before you choose a course or exam level.
How the exam is structured and scored
Most TÖMER exams test the four skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. A common format gives each skill 25 points, for a total of 100, and maps the total to a CEFR level. Many centres also set a minimum per skill, so you cannot pass on strong grammar alone.
Two examples from official university pages show how much the details vary:
- At the Social Sciences University of Ankara TÖMER, the level is based on the average of the four skills, provided you score at least 15 points in each. Its published bands put C1 at 71–88 and C2 at 89–100, and the certificate is valid for one year.
- At Erciyes University, reading, listening and writing are taken together in a 150-minute session, followed by a face-to-face speaking exam, and the certificate level is set by the average of the four skills.
Other centres use different bands. Before you register, find the exam regulations (sınav yönergesi) of your chosen centre and note three things: the score you need for your target level, any per-skill minimum, and how long the certificate is valid.
Okuma (reading)
Texts range from notices and adverts at A1–A2 to newspaper columns and academic extracts at B2–C1, with multiple-choice, true/false and matching questions.
Tip: don’t translate every word. Look at the suffixes to work out who did what to whom; the case endings and verb endings often tell you more than an unknown root.
Dinleme (listening)
Announcements, everyday dialogues and, at higher levels, short talks or lectures.
Tip: spoken Turkish shortens many forms. Yapacağım (I will do) often sounds like yapıcam, and geliyorum like geliyom. Listen to natural speech regularly before the exam so these forms don’t surprise you.
Yazma (writing)
At lower levels you might write a short message or email; at higher levels, an opinion essay.
Tip: examiners notice suffix errors quickly. Check every ending for vowel harmony, the ketçap rule of consonant mutation (kitap → kitabı) and the buffer letters y, s, ş, n (araba → arabaya, not arabaa).
Konuşma (speaking)
The speaking exam usually has two parts:
- Karşılıklı konuşma (dialogue): you talk with the examiner or another candidate, answering questions and reacting to what they say.
- Bağımsız konuşma (monologue / individual talk): you speak on your own about a topic or picture for a few minutes.
Tip: fluency and range count alongside accuracy. Keep talking, rephrase when you get stuck, and don’t freeze over a single wrong case ending.
TÖMER or Yunus Emre TYS?
| TÖMER exams | Yunus Emre TYS | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | University Turkish teaching centres | Yunus Emre Institute |
| Where | Mainly at universities in Türkiye | In Türkiye and at institute centres abroad |
| Format | Set by each centre (often 25 points per skill) | Reading 25, listening 25, writing 25 (two tasks, 10 + 15) and speaking 25 (interactive 15 + independent 10) |
| Certificates | Usually A1–C1 (some centres also C2) | B2 or C1 only (since 15 January 2022); score bands are set after each exam |
| Typical use | Admission to the university or to universities that accept that centre’s certificate | University admission and general proof of Turkish level |
Both test the four skills and are aligned with the CEFR, so the preparation is largely the same. If you live outside Türkiye, the TYS is usually easier to reach; see our Yunus Emre TYS guide. Whichever you choose, confirm that the university or institution you are applying to accepts that certificate.
A study plan that works
- Make suffixes automatic. Most points in writing are lost on endings, not vocabulary. Drill harmony, cases and verb tenses until you don’t need to think about them; the verb conjugator helps you check forms quickly.
- Learn vocabulary in context. Use spaced-repetition flashcards with whole phrases (randevu almak, to make an appointment) rather than isolated words.
- Do dictation. Listen to short clips and write down exactly what you hear. It trains listening and spelling at the same time.
- Write and get feedback. Write one short text a week on a typical exam topic and have a teacher or fluent speaker correct it.
- Practice speaking out loud. Record yourself talking for two minutes on a topic, then listen back for gaps you can fill.
- Sit a mock exam. A month before the real exam, do a full timed practice test for all four skills.
How long it takes depends on your starting point, your study hours and how much Turkish you hear every day. Our article on how long it takes to learn Turkish gives realistic ranges.
Next steps
Start with the level test to see how far you are from your target level, then work through the grammar guides linked above. Good luck, or as Turkish speakers say, Başarılar!
