Over 3 mln apply for university entrance exams

ANKARA

More than 3 million candidates have applied for the upcoming university entrance exams in Türkiye, the head of the Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) announced on March 12.

Bayram Ali Ersoy said 3.03 million students registered for the basic proficiency test (TYT) scheduled for June 8. This general exam is mandatory for all applicants. The following day, 1.98 million will take the field proficiency test (AYT), which focuses on specific academic tracks.

Ersoy's statement also detailed participation in the foreign language test (YDT), the third and final session, on June 9. A total of 228,814 candidates will take this exam, with English being the most popular choice with 218,316 applications. Arabic, German, French and Russian round out the available languages, with 5,717, 2,849, 1,172 and 760 applicants, respectively.

The demographics of the applicant pool show a near-even split between genders, with 1.58 million women and 1.45 million men registered. Ages range from 15 to 85, with the majority concentrated between 17 and 23. Notably, 26,331 applicants are 50 years old or older, and 118,923 female candidates are over 34.

Ersoy further noted that 1.4 million individuals are applying for the first time. Nearly 800,000 are taking their second attempt, while over 442,000 are on their third try.