The TYS Turkish Proficiency Exam: format, levels, fees and dates

The Turkish Proficiency Exam (TYS), Türkçe Yeterlik Sınavı, is the Turkish certificate run by the Yunus Emre Institute, and it carries the quality mark of ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe. Two things catch candidates out: since 2022 it awards only B2 or C1, and the certificate lasts only two years. This guide covers the format, the levels, the fees, the practical rules of exam day and how to judge whether you are ready. Not sure of your level? Start with our free Turkish level test.

Updated November 9, 2026 · 5 min read

What the TYS is for

The Institute built the exam around the Common European Framework of Reference. It was first sat at the Institute's centre in Tehran on 19 October 2012, then internationally on 24–25 May 2013 in ten countries. Anyone who wants their Turkish measured can enter: learners, students applying to universities in Türkiye, future teachers of Turkish abroad, and translators.

The most concrete benefit is at university. According to the certificate page, a holder who wins a place at a university in Türkiye is exempt from the Turkish preparatory class. The Institute also presents it as evidence of Turkish for employers, teaching posts abroad and translation work.

Format: 80 questions in 180 minutes

The exam is on paper, with an online version in preparation, and has three sessions. This is the Institute's current table:

Reading and listening come first, as one session of 105 minutes, using multiple-choice and true/false questions. After a 15-minute break comes writing, then, after another break, speaking. Notice how the points fall: each skill is worth a quarter of the total, so the 70 reading and listening questions earn the same 50 points as writing and speaking together. A candidate who has only practised multiple choice is giving away half the exam.

Only B2 or C1, and no fixed pass mark

The TYS used to award B2, C1 and C2. Since the sitting of 15 January 2022 the certificate is issued only at B2 and C1. There is no A1–B1 result to aim for, so it is not a test for beginners.

The score bands are not published in advance either. Scoring has used Modern Test Theory since that same sitting, and the ranges for B2 and C1 are set by analysis after each exam. Be sceptical of any site that quotes a fixed number of points as the pass mark.

What it costs

The fee depends on the country of the exam centre, and the Institute reserves the right to change it. Some examples from its list:

The Institute's FAQ lists discounts, among them 50% for people enrolled in Turkish courses at a Yunus Emre Institute, so ask your centre before paying. A candidate who registers and does not attend loses the fee.

Dates and registration

The TYS normally runs three times a year, though the Institute may change the number and dates of sittings. You apply online at sinav.yee.org.tr during the application window. The most recent sitting was on 27 September 2026, with applications from 3 to 28 August, at centres abroad and in Ankara, and its results are out. When we checked on 9 November 2026 the pages we read showed no 2027 calendar, so watch the TYS home page.

Exam-day rules and results

• Be at the centre at least half an hour before the start.
• Bring your ID or passport and your exam entry document.
• Water is allowed in a clear plastic bottle.
• Watches, phones, calculators and bags are not allowed in the room; there is a wall clock.
• You may take notes in the blank areas of the question booklet.
• Results come on average 4–5 weeks after the exam, and certificates go to the courier about 30 days after that.
• A lost certificate can be replaced once, for 20% of the exam fee.

How to prepare

Because the exam starts at B2, first find out how far away that is. Our free Turkish level test gives an estimate from A1 to B2 with no account (also in Arabic); it is not a certificate and does not test speaking. The Institute's site offers sample questions, so work through them against the clock, because 40 reading questions in 60 minutes leaves 90 seconds each. Practise writing to time as well: 20 minutes for the first task and 40 for the second. 16Word's Turkish course builds the word knowledge underneath, and Arabic speakers can use our Turkish word lists. If you also speak Azerbaijani, a close relative of Turkish, our Azerbaijani level test is there too.

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