The YKS Exam

The YKS (Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı) is the central examination run by ÖSYM in Türkiye. Admission to associate and bachelor's programmes at Turkish universities is decided on its result. It is held once a year and is followed by the placement rounds, in which candidates are assigned to programmes centrally.

2026 registration dates

Exam registration : 06/02/2026 at 2:30 pm - 02/03/2026
Exam dates : 20/06/2026 and 21/06/2026
1st placement round starts : 29/07/2026 at 11:45 am
1st placement round ends : 10/08/2026 at 11:59 pm
2nd placement round starts : 17/09/2026 at 4:00 pm
2nd placement round ends : 21/09/2026 at 11:59 pm

Exam sessions

TYT – Basic Proficiency Test : the common session every candidate sits, covering basic proficiency in Turkish, mathematics, science and social studies. Held on 20/06/2026.
AYT – Field Proficiency Tests : for candidates aiming at bachelor's programmes, split across the quantitative, verbal and equally-weighted tracks. Held on the morning of 21/06/2026.
YDT – Foreign Language Test : for candidates applying to language programmes. Held on the afternoon of 21/06/2026.

Registering for the exam

Registration ran from 06/02/2026 to 02/03/2026, opening at 2:30 pm on the first day.
Candidates register through ÖSYM application centres, or individually at ais.osym.gov.tr or through the ÖSYM candidate mobile app.
Candidates who applied for the National Defence University exam (MSÜ) must also register for the YKS, otherwise they cannot be included in placement to that university.
The full rules are set out in ÖSYM's 2026-YKS guide, which should be read before registering.

First placement round

Opens : 29/07/2026 at 11:45 am
Closes : 10/08/2026 at 11:59 pm
Candidates enter their own preferences with their national ID number and password at ais.osym.gov.tr or through the ÖSYM mobile app.
Preferences cannot be made at application centres, and lists sent by post or handed in are not processed. Only electronic preferences count.
Programmes are chosen according to ÖSYM's guide to higher education programmes and quotas.

Second placement round (Ek Yerleştirme)

Once the first round is over, ÖSYM reopens the preference process for the seats that remain empty :

Opens : 17/09/2026 at 4:00 pm
Closes : 21/09/2026 at 11:59 pm
Preferences are submitted individually at ais.osym.gov.tr or through the ÖSYM mobile app.
The round follows the rules in the YKS guide, the programmes and quotas guide, and the additional-placement guide together.

Where to check programme entry scores

Before ordering your preferences, it helps to see the scores programmes closed at in the previous placement, so you can judge where your own score stands.

Higher Education Programme Atlas : yokatlas.yok.gov.tr
For each programme it shows the lowest and highest entry score, the quota, and how many candidates were actually placed in the last round.
These are last year's figures, not a promise about this year. Read them as a rough indicator only, since scores move every year with the number of candidates and the difficulty of the exam.

Who is this exam for?

The YKS is aimed primarily at Turkish citizens and graduates of Turkish high schools. Foreign students normally apply through the international student quota, using a YÖS exam or their high school diploma. That said, many universities also accept a YKS score in their international student placements alongside YÖS and the diploma, so the admission conditions published in each university's own guide are what actually decide it.