9 students achieve perfect score in university entrance exam

ANKARA

Only nine students scored full marks in Türkiye’s massive university entrance exam known as the Higher Education Institutions Examination, which saw the participation of approximately 3 million candidates.

The results were announced on July 16, and students are expected to indicate their preferences for university placements between July 25 and Aug. 2.

Within Türkiye’s educational system, final-year high school students partake in a standardized test, the results of which determine their placement in universities.

This paramount exam is open not only to high school students but also to individuals of all ages aspiring to enter university.

Among the individual success stories, Arda Taşdemir, an earthquake survivor, emerged as a top performer, ranking the highest in Türkiye in the Turkish section. He moved with his family to the neighboring city Elazığ from the southern province of Malatya due to their house being damaged by the earthquakes that shook the country on Feb. 6.

Taşdemir shared that his habit of consistent study helped him overcome the challenges and succeed in the exam. “I took the YKS last year and ranked 4,600th. However, my goal was Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Computer Engineering and it was not certain that I would get in,” Taşdemir said. “The biggest reason for me to take the exam for the second time was this disaster.”

The results also revealed that students from public high schools showed remarkable achievement. A total of five students from Istanbul high schools were among the top scorers.

Women excel in social, men in math sections

According to this year's statistics, female candidates participated more than male candidates in all tests.

Female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in verbal tests such as the Turkish and social studies section of the basic proficiency test, while males were more successful in numerical tests.

Of the 3,121,000 candidates registered, 508,000 did not take the exam. In the Basic Proficiency Test, 2,819,000 candidates took part, while 1,776,000 candidates participated in the Field Proficiency Test, and 234,903 candidates took the Foreign Language Test.

Notably, 64,000 candidates had their scores recorded as zero, as they could not achieve the minimum required for their answers to be counted.

Success rates varied across different sections and tests. It was seen that only two tests had a success rate above 50 percent. Analysis of the results showed that the success rate dropped significantly for secondary school students.