In a significant move aimed at simplifying the admission process for international students, the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) announced Sunday that state universities will no longer conduct their own exams for international student admissions. Instead, international students can now use the results of the Turkish International Student Admission Exam (TR-YÖS) or high school grade averages such as IB, Abitur and GCE AL.

The number of countries where the TR-YÖS exam will be held has been increased from 25 to 52, expanding access for prospective students worldwide.

According to a statement by YÖK, the 2024 TR-YÖS/1 exam, which international candidates can take to apply for admission to higher education institutions in Türkiye, will be held on May 18 this year. Applications for the exam will be accepted on Türkiye's Student Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) website between March 1-18.

The exam will be conducted in six languages: Turkish, German, Arabic, French, English and Russian, and will be held in 78 centers across 52 countries. Foundation higher education institutions will also be able to accept students based on TR-YÖS results. The Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) will also utilize TR-YÖS for student admissions.

In addition to Türkiye, the countries where the 2024 TR-YÖS/1 exam will be held include the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Germany, the U.S., Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Algeria, Djibouti, Chad, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Morocco, France, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, India, Netherlands, Iraq, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, North Macedonia, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Egypt, Mongolia, Moldova, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Jordan and Greece.

The introduction of TR-YÖS aims to streamline the application process for foreign candidates seeking admission to higher education institutions in Türkiye. The first application process took place last year, with the TR-YÖS exam being held twice during the year.