How can I be exempted from the English preparatory class?
If you are a student enrolling for the first time in one of our University's undergraduate programmes that include a compulsory foreign language preparatory class, you may be exempted from the compulsory foreign language preparatory class by passing the foreign language proficiency examination held on the date announced in the academic calendar (at the beginning of the academic year), and you may proceed directly to the undergraduate programme in which you are enrolled.
If you have obtained an equivalent score at B2 level or above in national examinations that measure four language skills and are recognised as equivalent by ÖSYM, or in the examinations listed in the table below, you must submit the originals of these documents to the Coordinatorship of Foreign Languages within the registration period. Whether the relevant certificate/document qualifies for exemption is determined by a decision of the Unit Coordinatorship.
The scores required for exemption and the accepted examinations are given in the table below
| TOEFL IBT | PTE ACADEMIC | CPE / CAE | OTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78 and above | 67 and above | Level C and above | 111 and above |
What is the Placement Test (STS)?
It is the examination held on the university campus to determine the module/level in which students will be placed within the foreign language preparatory programme.
How will my language level be assessed when I start the Preparatory Programme?
The foreign language levels of students newly enrolled at the University are determined by the Placement Test administered by the Preparatory Unit Coordinatorship at the beginning of the academic year in which they enrol. Our students are placed in classes at the levels determined and receive their language instruction in these classes.
Students who do not sit the Placement Test are deemed to have accepted being placed in the A1 module of the foreign language preparatory class. No make-up examination is held for this test.
If my level is B2 and/or above B2 in the Placement Test, will I be exempted from the preparatory class?
No. Students whose level is determined as B2 or above are only entitled to sit the proficiency examination.
What is the Proficiency Examination? What does it cover in terms of content?
The Foreign Language Proficiency Examination measures four language skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking) and assesses students' listening comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, reading comprehension, and written and oral expression skills and competence.
It consists of three parts:
1- Multiple-choice section – listening, reading, grammar and vocabulary
2- Writing (as a separate examination)
3- Speaking (as a separate examination)
How many times is the Proficiency Examination held within a preparatory year?
A total of three (3) Proficiency Examinations are held per year on the dates specified in the academic calendar.
Is there a fee for the Proficiency Examination?
Students are entitled to one (1) free attempt at the Proficiency Examination. If a student fails the examination and requests to sit it a second or third time, the fee determined by the relevant units is charged
What score is required to pass the Proficiency Examination?
Students who score at least 70 out of 100 in the Foreign Language Proficiency Examination are exempted from the compulsory foreign language preparatory class and are entitled to begin the undergraduate degree programmes to which they have been admitted.
When are the Proficiency Examination results announced?
The results of the Foreign Language Proficiency Examination are announced within three days of the examination at the latest.
Examination results are valid for two (2) years.
If I complete B2 level in the first semester, can I move on to my department in the second semester?
If you complete B2 in the Fall Semester, you may move on to your department after sitting and passing the Proficiency Examination scheduled in the academic calendar. If you do not pass, you cannot move on to your department.
How many levels does the preparatory programme consist of? How long does one level last?
A preparatory year consists of four (4) levels in total. Each of our students begins at the level determined by the placement test and continues their studies until they complete the B2 level
Each level consists of 8 weeks of instruction and a 3-day examination schedule in the 9th week.
How many class hours are there per week in the preparatory programme?
There are 24 class hours in total.
Is class attendance compulsory in the preparatory programme?
Attendance of 85% is compulsory in each level. Excuses such as illness are included within this rate. Detailed information is available in the Preparatory Class Directive.
Instructors monitor and check attendance in every class by having students sign an attendance list and/or by electronic record. Students' attendance records are entered weekly into the student information system by the course instructor.
What happens if we do not comply with the attendance rule in the preparatory programme?
If a student's absence exceeds the specified rate, the student may not sit the end-of-module examination for that level and must repeat the level.
Is a medical report valid in the preparatory programme?
It is not valid for absences. Absences arising from illness or any other reason are counted within the 15% absence allowance.
Are students granted special leave in the event of the death of a first-degree relative during the preparatory programme?
In the event of the loss of a first-degree relative (mother, father, sibling, spouse, child), ten (10) days of excused leave is granted upon submission of documentation, and make-up examinations are held for examinations missed during this period.
Is there a break between levels?
Between the levels within the Fall and Spring Semesters, the days following the end-of-module examination are holidays, while there is a fourteen (14) day break between the Fall and Spring Semesters.
What Is the Modular System?
The modular system is a system consisting of consecutive levels in which progress is observed as students succeed, reinforced through examinations. In the event of failure, progress is not possible and the student repeats the level or programme in which they were unsuccessful.
This system has been designed on the basis of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), comprising four (4) levels, each lasting 8 weeks. The levels are as follows:
A1: Beginner (Elementary)
A2: Elementary (Pre-intermediate)
B1: Intermediate (Intermediate)
B2: Upper Intermediate (Upper Intermediate)
What is required to successfully complete a level in the preparatory programme?
Having fulfilled the attendance requirement,
Having an average of at least 70 for in-level examinations and assignments,
Obtaining at least 70 in the end-of-level examination.
What happens if a student fails a level?
If a student fails a level, that level is repeated.
What is the examination system and schedule in the programme?
Quizzes are held to monitor and measure the development of the student's language skills during the academic year, and an “End-of-Module Examination” is held to determine module proficiency and to establish whether the student meets the requirements for progressing to the next module. The End-of-Module Examination is held once for each module on the dates announced in advance in the academic calendar. End-of-Module Examinations consist of listening comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written and/or oral expression sections. A student who does not fulfil the attendance requirement may not sit the End-of-Module Examination held at the end of that module.
In addition, quizzes are prepared and administered by the measurement and assessment unit in the number and on the dates determined by the coordinatorship for each course in each module (writing, reading, listening, speaking and grammar sections) and are graded by the relevant instructors. Where necessary, these examinations may also be conducted as online tests through the internet-based classroom, as in-module reading assignments, as writing tasks on reading topics covered in class, and so on. No make-up and/or excuse examination is held for students who miss a quiz.
What is the End-of-Module Examination?
The End-of-Module Examination is held once for each module on the dates announced in advance in the academic calendar by the Examination Committee, which is chaired by the Preparatory Unit Coordinator and consists of the instructors teaching in that module.
End-of-Module Examinations consist of listening comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written and/or oral expression sections.
A student who does not fulfil the attendance requirement may not sit the End-of-Module Examination held at the end of that module.
For students who have fulfilled the attendance requirement but have failed to reach the required average in the end-of-module assessment and are therefore academically unsuccessful, if no class is opened at the level they are required to repeat, an End-of-Module Examination at their own level is administered on the dates on which the end-of-module examinations are held, and their achievement is reassessed in accordance with the principles of Article 17.
End-of-Module Examination results are announced on the notice board, in the student information system and/or on the University's website within 5 (five) days of the examination at the latest.
In foreign language preparatory class instruction, achievement is measured on the basis of end-of-module assessment. In order to be included in the end-of-module assessment, students must score at least 70 (seventy) out of a total of 100 (one hundred) points in the End-of-Module Examination held at the end of each module. For students who meet this requirement and are therefore included in the assessment, the end-of-module achievement grade is calculated by adding 50% (fifty per cent) of the End-of-Module Examination, 30% (thirty per cent) of the average of the Quizzes, and 20% (twenty per cent) of the average grade for assignments, in-class activities and/or portfolio work. The lower limit for the end-of-module achievement grade is 70 (seventy). Students whose end-of-module achievement grade is 70 (seventy) or above have successfully completed that module and proceed to the next module.
What is a quiz?
Quizzes, three per module in the English preparatory unit, are administered and graded by the lecturers serving as officers of the measurement and assessment office under the direction of the Preparatory Unit Coordinator.
The quiz schedule is announced at the beginning of each level.
Where necessary, quizzes may also take the form of multiple-choice questions delivered through the internet-based classroom, in-module reading assignments, writing tasks on reading topics covered in class, and so on.
No make-up and/or excuse examination is held for students who miss a quiz.
Is there a minimum score for the quizzes held during a level in the preparatory programme?
There is no such minimum. However, these grades are important because they show how well you have learned the topics and because they affect the pass grade.
What should I do if I am unable to sit an examination?
Students who are unable to sit the End-of-Module Examination for valid and justifiable reasons must notify the Coordinatorship of Foreign Languages in writing of their excuse within 5 (five) days following the examination date. Students whose excuses are accepted by their advisor and the Preparatory Unit Coordinator exercise their right to sit the examination during the make-up examination period determined by the Preparatory Programme Unit Coordinatorship.
The Examination Committee submits the results of the make-up examinations to the Coordinatorship of Foreign Languages within 5 (five) days of the examination date.
Students may appeal against examination results on the grounds of material error by submitting a petition to the Preparatory Programme Unit Coordinatorship within 5 (five) days of the announcement of the results.
Appeals made on the sixth day, that is, five (5) days after the examination, are not accepted.
Upon appeal, the examination paper is reviewed within five (5) days at the latest by an assessment committee consisting of at least 2 instructors appointed by the Preparatory Unit Coordinator, and the outcome is reported in writing to the Preparatory Programme Unit Coordinatorship. The result is communicated to the student by e-mail.
Can I appeal against examination results?
Students may appeal against examination results on the grounds of material error by submitting a petition to the Preparatory Programme Unit Coordinatorship within 5 (five) days of the announcement of the results. Appeals made later are not accepted.
After how many consecutive years of failure in the preparatory programme is my enrolment terminated?
Two years in total.
What can I do if I cannot complete my preparatory education within one year?
*Students who attend the compulsory foreign language preparatory class but fail to meet the achievement requirement at the end of the first year may, upon request, enrol in an equivalent programme at the University in which the language of instruction is Turkish. If no equivalent programme is available at the University, such students may, upon request, be centrally placed by ÖSYM on a one-off basis in one of the programmes taught in Turkish, provided that, as of the year of their enrolment, the student's university entrance score is not lower than the minimum score required for admission to the programme in which they are to be placed.
*The enrolment of a student who fails to meet the achievement requirement at the end of the second year in the compulsory foreign language preparatory class is terminated.
*Students studying in the optional foreign language preparatory class begin their studies in the undergraduate degree programmes in which they are enrolled in the following academic year, even if they do not meet the achievement requirement at the end of the first year.
Can I obtain a language certificate when I successfully complete the preparatory programme?
No separate certificate is issued. However, detailed information about the language education received is included in the student transcript, which can be obtained with an electronic signature. This transcript is recognised by different institutions.
Can I choose the class of the instructor I want in the preparatory programme?
As classes are formed by the coordinatorship according to specific criteria, this is not possible.
Can I change my class in the preparatory programme?
As classes are arranged to create a heterogeneous learning environment, class changes are not made.
Are fees refunded for modules I have not attended?
In such a case, a petition must be submitted to the financial affairs office. Once the petition has been submitted, the financial affairs office makes the necessary calculation and the fee for the module not attended is deducted from the fee for the following academic term.
Is there a fee for summer school?
Yes, the summer school fee is determined each year by the Board of Trustees.
How is summer school implemented?
Summer instruction in the foreign language preparatory class is delivered as a module programme.
The summer instruction module of the foreign language preparatory class comprises 200 class hours and 8 weeks, including the in-module and end-of-module examinations.
Do I have to pay for course materials in the preparatory programme and where can I obtain them?
Teaching and learning materials are announced to you on the orientation day held at the beginning of the year. Students may obtain the relevant materials from the bookshop on campus or from sales outlets off campus.
Note: It is important that the materials are original editions in terms of the online assignments.
Can I use the PDF version of the course materials?
Copied materials other than the original source (whether physical or electronic) are unlawful. They render the completion of online assignments invalid.