{"id":13022,"date":"2026-10-03T11:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T07:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sayainternational.com\/en\/english-preparatory-year-in-turkey\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T11:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T07:35:00","slug":"english-preparatory-year-in-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sayainternational.com\/en\/english-preparatory-year-in-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"English Preparatory Year in Turkey 2027: Exemption, Levels and Exams"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/strong>, known locally as haz\u0131rl\u0131k. 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<\/p>\n

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 \u0130zmir<\/p>\n

At a glance:<\/strong> Prep usually lasts two semesters, from September to June \u2022 Exemption with an accepted score or the university\u2019s own proficiency exam \u2022 Levels typically run from A1 to B2 \u2022 Failing can delay your degree by a year or more<\/div>\n

What the English Preparatory Year Is<\/h2>\n

Every university with English-medium programmes runs a School of Foreign Languages (Yabanc\u0131 Diller Y\u00fcksekokulu). 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<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\"Lecture
After passing prep, students move on to faculty lectures taught fully in English<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to Get Exemption from Prep<\/h2>\n

There are three common ways to skip the preparatory year<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Submit a valid international certificate with a score at or above the university\u2019s threshold, usually before registration or the start of term<\/li>\n
  2. Pass the university\u2019s own English proficiency exam, often held in September just before classes begin<\/li>\n
  3. Show that you completed secondary school in a country where English is the native language, at universities that accept this<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Exam<\/th>\nTypical exemption score<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    TOEFL iBT<\/td>\n72 to 80<\/td>\nThe most widely accepted option<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    PTE Academic<\/td>\n55 to 60<\/td>\nAccepted by a growing number of universities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    IELTS Academic<\/td>\n6.0 to 6.5 where accepted<\/td>\nSome universities do not accept it for exemption<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    YDS (Turkish national exam)<\/td>\n60 and above<\/td>\nMainly used by Turkish citizens<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Cambridge C1 Advanced<\/td>\nGrade C or higher<\/td>\nAccepted by many private universities<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Acceptance of IELTS is the most confusing point. Some universities follow the national equivalence table published by \u00d6SYM, 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<\/p>\n

    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<\/a><\/p>\n

    \n

    Practical advice:<\/strong> even if you plan to take the September proficiency exam, book TOEFL or PTE in spring as a backup. If the in-house exam goes badly, a certificate that arrives before the deadline can still get you exempt at many universities<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    How the Prep Year Is Organised<\/h2>\n

    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<\/p>\n

    A typical week<\/h3>\n