Turkey’s Higher Education Board denies reports of university entrance system change

ANKARA

The Higher Education Board (YÖK) on Dec. 19 denied reports that it is preparing to introduce a new system for high-school graduates’ entry to university programs. 

“There has not been any work from YÖK concerning the university admission system. There are no talks with any other ministry either, unlike what was asserted in the related news report,” the YÖK stated. 

Daily Hürriyet had earlier reported that the Education Ministry and YÖK were preparing to introduce a new system in which they will remove the first leg of a two-stage entrance exam and implement annual tests in secondary school to determine students’ competence.

The report said the two-stage examination’s first leg, the YGS, which tests students’ ability to advance to higher education, will be eliminated. Instead, students will sit open-ended competency tests each year during their high school education. 

It was also reported that the cumulative points obtained from these tests will form students’ high school diploma points; according to their total score over their high school career, students will be able to enter two-year degree programs, although some four-year degree programs will also accept students based solely on these points. 

However, the system would stipulate that for most four-year degree programs, students will additionally have to take the LYS, an exam that is required to be admitted to undergraduate programs. 

It was reported that for students who have already completed their high schools degrees, their diploma points will be sufficient to enter a two-year degree programs as well as some four-year degree programs. However, if they wish to study at universities that admit students with higher points, they will be required to sit the LYS.    
Vocational high school students would also have their own quotas to enter institutes of higher learning in their fields.