TR-YÖS Exam Guide for Afghan Students: Format, Scoring, Exam Centres and a 12-Week Study Plan

TR-YÖS is the entrance exam for international students run by ÖSYM, Türkiye's national exam centre: 80 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes, scored from 100 to 500, valid for two years, and available at exam centres inside Afghanistan, including Kabul. For many Afghan students it is the single most useful score to hold when applying to Turkish state universities. This guide explains exactly how the exam works, using ÖSYM's official 2026 guide, and gives you a realistic 12-week plan to prepare from Jalalabad.

TR-YÖS at a glance

The figures below come from ÖSYM's guide for the 2026-TR-YÖS/2 session. ÖSYM publishes a new guide for every session, so always read the current one before you apply.

ÖSYM has held TR-YÖS more than once a year; the 2026-TR-YÖS/2 name itself shows it was the second session of 2026. Plan around the session whose results arrive before your universities' application deadlines.

Do you actually need TR-YÖS?

Not always. The official guide explains that, since the 2024–2025 academic year, state universities admit international students using TR-YÖS, high school grade averages set by each university senate, applicants' national exams and international exam results. Foundation (private) universities use the exams and scores set by their senates and may also run their own entrance exams.

In practice this means:

• Some programmes admit Afghan students on grade 12 results alone.
• Competitive programmes at well-known state universities, such as medicine, engineering and computer science, often ask for TR-YÖS or SAT with a minimum score.
• A good TR-YÖS score widens your options and can make the difference when many applicants have similar grades.

Before registering, list the programmes you are serious about and check what each one accepts. Our comparison of TR-YÖS, university YÖS exams and the SAT explains the alternatives.

Inside the exam: the two tests

The exam has two separately scored tests of 40 questions each.

• Numerical Ability (Sayısal Yetenek): reasoning with numbers, patterns, figures and logic. It tests how you think rather than what you memorised; speed and accuracy matter.
• Basic Mathematics (Temel Matematik): school mathematics, the kind you studied up to grade 12. Strong fundamentals, such as arithmetic, algebra, ratios, functions and geometry, are the foundation.

Because both tests are mathematical, TR-YÖS rewards students who practise regularly under time pressure. You have 100 minutes for 80 questions, an average of 75 seconds per question.

How the score is calculated

ÖSYM's guide sets out the method:

1. For each test, your raw score is the number of correct answers minus one quarter of the wrong answers.
2. Raw scores are converted to standard scores using the average and spread of all candidates' results.
3. The standard scores are weighted: 0.45 for Numerical Ability and 0.55 for Basic Mathematics.
4. The weighted scores are converted to a scale from 100 to 500, which is your TR-YÖS score.
5. You must have a raw score of at least 0.5 in at least one test for a score to be calculated.

Two practical lessons follow. First, Basic Mathematics carries more weight, so do not neglect it in favour of puzzles. Second, random guessing does not pay: with five options, a blind guess is as likely to cost you a quarter point as to earn you a point. But if you can eliminate two or three options with confidence, an educated guess is worth taking.

Exam centres and how to choose them

At application you list up to five exam centres in order of preference, and at least one of them must be in Türkiye. You pay the fee for your first-choice centre, and after payment the first choice cannot be changed. If fewer than 15 people apply to a centre abroad, ÖSYM may cancel it and move those candidates to the highest remaining preference on their list.

For students from Jalalabad and Nangarhar, Kabul is usually the most practical first choice. Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif are also listed. Nearby centres outside Afghanistan in the 2026/2 guide included Islamabad, Tashkent, Dushanbe and Ashgabat. Choose your Türkiye centre with the possibility in mind that you may have to travel to it.

How to apply

1. Create an account on the ÖSYM candidate system through tryos.osym.gov.tr during the application period.
2. Provide a valid photo. Candidates without a Turkish ID card or valid photo in the ÖSYM system take their photo and photos of the front and back of their identity document through the TR-YÖS mobile application, following the guide's instructions.
3. Choose the question language and your five exam centres.
4. Pay the fee within the deadline by card through ÖSYM's payment system. An application without payment is not complete.
5. Print your exam entry document when ÖSYM publishes it, and bring it with your identity document on exam day.

Take the guide's identity and photo rules seriously: candidates who cannot be identified are not admitted to the exam.

A 12-week preparation plan

If your mathematics is weak, start six months before the exam rather than three. Studying in English? Learn the English mathematical vocabulary early so translation does not slow you down.

What score do you need?

There is no single pass mark. Each university sets its own minimum TR-YÖS score per programme, and the real threshold depends on how many strong applicants apply that year. Competitive programmes usually admit students well above their published minimum. Look up each programme's international admission page, and build a shortlist that mixes ambitious and realistic choices.

Common mistakes

• Registering for an exam your universities do not accept. Check every programme first.
• Missing the application window, which closes weeks before the exam.
• Choosing exam centres carelessly, forgetting that one must be in Türkiye or that small centres can be cancelled.
• Blind guessing on questions you cannot narrow down.
• Letting the score expire: it is valid for two years from the exam date.

How we help

We check which exams your shortlisted programmes accept, guide you through the ÖSYM application and exam-centre choices, and plan your application dates around your results. Then we take you through the full bachelor's admission and student visa process. If you hope to study engineering or medicine, a strong TR-YÖS score matters even more. Contact our Jalalabad office to start.