English Preparatory Year in Turkey 2027: Exemption, Levels and Exams

If you are admitted to an English-taught degree and cannot prove your level, your first year will almost certainly be an English preparatory year in Turkey, known locally as hazırlık. Students often see it as a lost year. In our experience it is closer to the opposite: the students who take prep seriously are the ones who cope best with lectures, lab reports and exams later on. Still, it costs a year of tuition and living expenses, so it makes sense to understand how it works and whether you can skip it

This guide explains who has to take prep, which scores give exemption, how the levels and exams run and what happens if you fail, with examples from universities our students attend in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir

What the English Preparatory Year Is

Every university with English-medium programmes runs a School of Foreign Languages (Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulu). Students who are not exempt are placed in levels after a placement test, then study English intensively, often 20 to 28 hours a week. The aim is to bring you to roughly B2 level, which is what most faculties consider enough to follow academic courses

Programmes taught fully in English have compulsory prep for non-exempt students. Programmes that are 30 percent in English, and some Turkish-taught ones, may offer optional prep instead. That distinction matters, because optional prep can usually be skipped even without a certificate

How to Get Exemption from Prep

There are three common ways to skip the preparatory year

1. Submit a valid international certificate with a score at or above the university’s threshold, usually before registration or the start of term
2. Pass the university’s own English proficiency exam, often held in September just before classes begin
3. Show that you completed secondary school in a country where English is the native language, at universities that accept this

Acceptance of IELTS is the most confusing point. Some universities follow the national equivalence table published by ÖSYM, which does not list IELTS, and therefore ask IELTS holders to sit their own proficiency test instead. Others, including many private universities, accept IELTS directly. Always check the language requirements page of the specific university and the date window your score must fall within, usually two years

Students who do not have IELTS often find that TOEFL or the in-house exam suits them better. We wrote more about this in our guide to scholarships in Turkey without IELTS

How the Prep Year Is Organised

Most schools use a modular system. After the placement test you start at a level such as A1, A2, B1 or B2 and move up every eight weeks or so if your results are good enough. Your final grade usually combines class performance, quizzes, writing portfolios and module exams. Students who reach the top level then take the end-of-year proficiency exam, typically in June, and a re-sit is held in late summer

A typical week

• Main course hours focused on grammar, reading and vocabulary
• Writing classes with essay drafts and teacher feedback
• Listening and note-taking practice using short academic lectures
• Speaking tasks and presentations, more frequent at higher levels
• Online homework and a self-study centre for extra practice

Attendance rules are strict. Many universities require at least 85 percent attendance, and students who miss more lose the right to sit the final proficiency exam. We have seen strong students fail prep simply because they treated it like a gap year and did not come to class

What Happens If You Fail Prep

Rules vary, but there are common patterns. If you fail at the end of the first year, you can usually repeat prep or study on your own and sit the proficiency exam again. Many universities allow a maximum of two years for compulsory prep. Students who still cannot pass may be dismissed from the English-taught programme, and in some cases they can be placed in a Turkish-taught equivalent if one exists. Read the prep regulation (hazırlık yönetmeliği) of your university, because the details decide whether a bad year is a delay or a serious problem

For students in medicine and dentistry it is even more important to pass the first time, because the curriculum is long and faculties rarely allow mid-year entry. Our guides on studying medicine in Turkey and related fields explain how prep fits into those programmes

Choosing a University With a Strong Prep Programme

Prep quality varies more than most students realise. Some schools have small classes of 15 to 20 students, native and experienced Turkish teachers, and a clear curriculum mapped to CEFR levels. Others put 30 people in a room and rely on textbooks. When you compare universities, ask a few simple questions: how many students sit in a class, how many hours of teaching there are per week, what percentage of students pass in the first year, and whether there is a summer school for students who narrowly fail

Universities such as METU, Bilkent, Boğaziçi, Özyeğin and Sabancı have long-established language schools with good reputations, and several private universities in Istanbul and Ankara have invested heavily in theirs. Current students are the most honest source of information, so if you can, talk to someone who finished prep at the university on your list

Cost of the Preparatory Year

At state universities, prep is charged at the same annual tuition as the degree, which for international students is often between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars. At private universities you normally pay the full annual tuition, and any scholarship you received usually covers prep as well. Living costs are the same as in any other year, so for a student in Istanbul that means rent, food and transport for an extra twelve months. Our page on tuition fees in Turkey for 2026–27 gives ranges for both types of university

English Prep Versus Turkish Language Study

English prep should not be confused with Turkish language study. Students admitted to Turkish-taught programmes need Turkish at around C1, usually through a TÖMER course or a university language centre, and that is a different route with different exams. If you are still deciding which language to study in, compare our list of English-taught programmes in Turkey with our guide to learning Turkish for university at TÖMER

How to Prepare Before You Arrive

The best use of the months before September is steady practice rather than cramming. Read short academic texts in your field, write one paragraph a day and ask a teacher or tutor to correct it, and listen to university lectures online with subtitles off. Take a mock TOEFL or PTE to see where you stand. Students who arrive at B1 instead of A2 usually save a full semester, and some reach exemption in time for the September exam

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the English preparatory year in Turkey compulsory?

It is compulsory for fully English-taught programmes unless you prove your level with an accepted certificate or the university’s proficiency exam. For partly English or Turkish-taught programmes it is often optional

How long is the prep year?

Usually two semesters, from September to June. Students who start at a high level can finish earlier, and many universities allow up to two years in total if you need to repeat

Can I skip prep with IELTS?

At many universities, yes, typically with a score of 6.0 to 6.5. Some universities do not accept IELTS for exemption and ask you to take their own exam or TOEFL instead, so check before you book

Does prep count towards my degree?

No. Prep credits are not part of your bachelor’s degree, and the normal degree duration starts after you pass

Do scholarships cover the preparatory year?

Most university scholarships and tuition discounts cover prep at the same rate as the degree. Check the conditions, because some discounts require a minimum prep grade to continue