If you need official proof of your Turkish for university admission, a job or a scholarship, the Türkçe Yeterlik Sınavı (TYS), the Turkish Proficiency Exam of the Yunus Emre Institute, is one of the main options. It’s run by Türkiye’s state cultural institute, held in Ankara and at Yunus Emre centres abroad, and it carries the ALTE Q-mark, a quality mark from the Association of Language Testers in Europe.
Everything below comes from the Institute’s official TYS website and was checked on 14 October 2026. Dates and fees change, so confirm them at tys.yee.org.tr before you register.
TYS at a glance
| Organiser | Yunus Emre Enstitüsü (Yunus Emre Institute) |
| Skills tested | Reading, listening, writing, speaking |
| Total time | 180 minutes of testing |
| Questions | 80 in total |
| Certificates | B2 or C1 (Türkçe Yeterlik Belgesi) |
| Format | Paper-based. The Institute says an online version is in preparation |
| Frequency | Three times a year |
| Where | Ankara, plus Yunus Emre centres and partner institutions abroad |
| Registration | Online at sinav.yee.org.tr |
Exam format: the four sections
The Institute’s current section table:
| Section | Questions | Points | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Reading (Okuma) | 40 | 25 | 60 min |
| 2. Listening (Dinleme) | 30 | 25 | 45 min |
| Break | 15 min | ||
| 3. Writing (Yazma), task 1 | 1 | 10 | 20 min |
| 3. Writing (Yazma), task 2 | 1 | 15 | 40 min |
| Break | |||
| 4. Speaking: interactive (Karşılıklı Konuşma) | 7 | 15 | 10 min |
| 4. Speaking: independent (Bağımsız Konuşma) | 1 | 10 | 5 min |
| Total | 80 | 100 | 180 min |
The Institute describes the exam as running in three sittings: reading and listening first (105 minutes), writing second (60 minutes) and speaking third (15 minutes).
Reading and listening
These are the longest sections and carry half the points between them. Expect texts and recordings across a range of difficulty, since one paper has to separate B2 candidates from C1 candidates. At this level, examiners expect you to follow complex structures like relative clauses (sınavı geçen öğrenciler, “the students who passed the exam”), passive forms (sonuçlar açıklandı, “the results were announced”) and the reported past -miş, which is common in news and stories.
Writing
Two tasks, worth 10 and 15 points. The second, longer task carries more weight and gets twice the time, so plan your 60 minutes accordingly. Accurate suffixes matter: wrong vowel harmony or a missing case ending is easy for examiners to spot.
Speaking
The speaking section has two parts:
- Karşılıklı konuşma (interactive speaking): a conversation with the examiner, with seven questions in 10 minutes.
- Bağımsız konuşma (independent speaking): a single 5-minute monologue on a given topic.
Practice both. Many candidates can answer questions but struggle to speak alone for five minutes in organised paragraphs. Phrases like Öncelikle… (First of all…), Bunun yanı sıra… (Besides this…) and Sonuç olarak… (In conclusion…) help you structure your answer.
Scoring and certificates
- The exam is scored out of 100 points.
- Since the exam of 15 January 2022, the TYS uses modern test theory (item-response analysis) instead of classical scoring. The score ranges for B2 and C1 are set after each exam based on that analysis, so there’s no fixed published pass mark.
- Certificates are issued at B2 or C1 only. The Institute used to issue C2 certificates but stopped from the January 2022 exam.
- The certificate carries the ALTE Q-mark. The Institute describes it as the first Turkish proficiency certificate with internationally recognised validity.
Be careful with websites that publish fixed score bands (for example “C1 = 76–100”). Those usually come from individual university exams, not the current TYS.
2026 dates
| Session | Exam date | Application period |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 February 2026 (Sunday) | 8 December 2025 – 3 January 2026 |
| 2nd | 17 May 2026 (Sunday) | 23 March – 17 April 2026 |
| 3rd | 27 September 2026 (Sunday) | 3 – 28 August 2026 |
All three 2026 sessions have now taken place. The Institute published the 2026 calendar in November 2025, so watch tys.yee.org.tr and its announcement channels for the 2027 dates. The Institute says it may change dates if necessary.
Fees (as listed in 2026)
Fees are set per country in local or major currencies. The Institute’s fee page was last updated on 6 August 2026. Some examples:
| Country | 2026 fee |
|---|---|
| Türkiye | 800 TL |
| USA | 160 USD |
| United Kingdom | 100 GBP |
| Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy | 140 EUR |
| Spain | 120 EUR |
| Canada | 80 USD |
| Japan | 160 USD |
| Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan | 100 USD |
The full table covers around 57 countries. The Institute reserves the right to change fees, so check the current amount on the official fee page before you pay.
How to register
- Check the next exam date and the list of exam centres on tys.yee.org.tr.
- Create an account and apply at sinav.yee.org.tr during the application window.
- Pay the fee for your country.
- Before exam day, download your sınav giriş belgesi (exam entry document) and bring it with you on the day.
Who needs the TYS?
- University applicants: Turkish-medium programmes usually ask for proof of Turkish. Each university sets its own requirement, and many expect C1 for full admission. Check your programme’s requirements.
- Türkiye Scholarships students: a C1 certificate from the Yunus Emre Institute or a university Turkish teaching centre exempts you from the one-year Turkish preparatory course. See our guide to the Türkiye Scholarships preparatory year.
- Professionals: employers in Türkiye or abroad who need a recognised certificate.
If you’re comparing options, our TÖMER exam guide covers the university-run exams.
How to prepare
- Know your level first. The TYS only certifies B2 and C1. If you’re still around B1, you’re unlikely to get a certificate yet. Our level test gives you a quick estimate.
- Download the sample exam. The Institute publishes a TYS sample (TYS Örneği) on its website. Do it under timed conditions.
- Train timed reading. 40 questions in 60 minutes means about 90 seconds per question.
- Practice the 5-minute monologue on general topics (technology, education, environment, city life) and record yourself. Use the phrases in the table below to structure it.
- Review advanced grammar: participles, the passive, the causative and word order for emphasis.
A 12-week preparation plan (from solid B1/B2)
This is an example plan, not an official one. Adjust it to the skill where you’re weakest.
| Weeks | Focus | Weekly tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Diagnose | Do the official sample under timed conditions; list your weakest section and recurring grammar errors |
| 3–5 | Reading and grammar | Two timed reading sets a week; review participles, the passive and noun clauses |
| 6–8 | Listening and writing | News and podcast listening daily; one short and one long writing task a week, corrected by a teacher if possible |
| 9–10 | Speaking | Three recorded 5-minute monologues a week; mock interactive sessions with a tutor or partner |
| 11 | Full mock exam | Complete 180-minute run with breaks, then review every mistake |
| 12 | Light review | Vocabulary, useful phrases for writing and speaking, rest before exam day |
Useful phrases for writing and speaking
| Turkish | English |
|---|---|
| Bence… / Bana göre… | In my opinion… |
| Öncelikle… | First of all… |
| Bunun yanı sıra… | Besides this… |
| Öte yandan… | On the other hand… |
| Örneğin… | For example… |
| Bu nedenle… | For this reason… |
| Sonuç olarak… | In conclusion… |
| …konusunda farklı görüşler var. | There are different views on… |
On exam day
- Bring your exam entry document and arrive early. The first sitting is the longest, so eat beforehand.
- Don’t get stuck on one reading question. Mark it, move on, and come back if time allows.
- In listening, read the questions before each recording starts so you know what to listen for.
- In writing, spend a few minutes planning before you write, and leave time at the end to check suffixes and spelling (ı/i, ş, ğ).
- In speaking, if you don’t know a word, explain around it. Examiners are assessing communication, not just vocabulary.
Next steps
Start with the Turkish level test to see how far you are from B2, then use our self-study roadmap to plan the months before your exam date.
