YÖS Exam for Pakistani Students: 2026 Guide to TR-YÖS Format, Dates, Validity and University Requirements

YÖS stands for Yabancı Öğrenci Sınavı, meaning foreign student exam. The test checks reasoning and maths rather than subject knowledge from FSc.

Turkey's wider admission route is explained in the study in Turkey from Pakistan page. The guide covers fees, visas and the residence permit.

Basic learning skills questions look like IQ-style reasoning puzzles. Pakistani FSc maths covers most of the maths and geometry content.

Dates for 2027 had not been published when this guide was updated. Students check ÖSYM, Pak-Turk Maarif and the Turkish Embassy Islamabad announcements each winter.

1. 1Check the session. Read the ÖSYM and Pak-Turk Maarif announcement for dates and centre.
2. 2Create an account. Register on the ÖSYM international application system.
3. 3Enter details. Add passport, school and contact details exactly as on documents.
4. 4Upload a photo. Use a recent passport-style photo that meets the stated rules.
5. 5Pay the fee. The 2025 Pakistan fee was 1,250 TL (about 35 USD); confirm the current fee.
6. 6Print the entry document. Bring it with the passport on exam day.

Students preparing documents at the same time should finish IBCC work early. The IBCC equivalence page explains timing for A Level students.

• Public universities: often TR-YÖS or SAT with minimum scores.
• Private foundation universities: often FSc or A Level marks.
• Competitive programmes such as medicine: higher scores where tests apply.
• Türkiye Bursları: no YÖS needed for the scholarship application.

Scholarship applicants should read the Türkiye Bursları scholarship page. Medical applicants should read the MBBS in Turkey for Pakistani students page for PMDC rules.

Reasoning questions are the unfamiliar part for most Pakistani students. Daily timed sets of twenty questions build speed faster than long weekend sessions.

Some universities accept SAT instead of YÖS. Students comparing Turkey with Hungary can read the study in Hungary from Pakistan page, and the study in Europe from Pakistan page covers other low-fee options.

Minimum scores change every year. Students read each university's international admission guide for the current cut-off before applying.

A strong FSc or A Level record still helps. Several universities weight school marks alongside the test, so a weaker YÖS score can be balanced by high marks.

Students who sit more than one YÖS exam usually submit their best score. Each university's guide states whether it accepts TR-YÖS only or also its own exam, so collecting this list early helps decide which tests to book.

Applications usually open between January and July, and results are published in stages. Applying to several universities with the same score keeps options open until the final placement list appears.

Keep copies of the score report, passport and school documents ready in one folder. Most Turkish university portals ask for the same uploads, and a complete folder makes it easy to apply to five or six universities in one week.

Students who score well should apply widely. The Turkey university fees and admission page lists public and private university fees, and the PTE vs IELTS page helps with the English score many English-taught programmes also ask for.

• Assuming all Turkish universities require YÖS.
• Missing the Pakistan centre's registration deadline.
• Practising maths only and skipping reasoning questions.
• Choosing an exam language you read slowly.
• Retaking needlessly when a valid score already exists.

A free Turkey admission check with Hammad Study Abroad shows whether your target universities need YÖS. The scholarships for Pakistani students page lists funding options for Turkey.