Common Written Exam System (OYSS) in Turkey and the 11-12 November National Exams

Parents of middle and high school students in Turkey have met a new term this school year: the Common Written Exam System (Ortak Yazılı Sınav Sistemi, OYSS). Add the national common exams on 11-12 November, and many parents are asking whether written exams now come from Ankara. The short answer is no: teachers still decide, but the way exams are prepared has changed. This guide explains the two systems separately, based on the Ministry of National Education's (MEB) official guides.

Two separate things: OYSS and the national common exam

OYSS: which grades and subjects?

According to MEB's Frequently Asked Questions guide, OYSS applies in 2026-2027 to:

• Middle school grades 5, 6 and 7: Turkish, mathematics, science, social studies, religious culture and ethics, English.
• High school grades 9, 10 and 11: Turkish language and literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, religious culture and ethics, philosophy, English.

Outside the scope:

• English lessons in grades 7 and 11;
• all subjects in the preparatory classes of schools with a preparatory year;
• subjects without a published topic and question distribution table (teachers continue to prepare these exams);
• listening and speaking exams in Turkish, literature and English (OYSS covers only reading and writing exams).

Institutions where it does not apply: international private institutions, evening high schools, vocational education centres and certain special education schools. Private schools are included: MEB's announcement states that the system applies in "state and private middle schools, grades 5, 6 and 7", including private schools with their own Ministry-approved curricula.

How are the questions prepared?

1. Choosing a scenario. MEB has published a "topic and question distribution table" for each subject and exam. These tables contain alternative scenarios showing how many questions are asked on which learning outcomes. The teachers of a subject at the school choose a scenario, taking into account the school's conditions and their students' level.
2. Teacher questions. Teachers write two open-ended questions on the learning outcomes in the chosen scenario, together with their marking schemes.
3. Pool questions. The other questions come from MEB's pool of skills-based, open-ended questions; teachers can replace two of them. Pool questions become available to teachers four days before the exam.
4. Difficulty and points. Teachers decide whether each question is easy, medium or hard, and how many points it carries.

According to MEB, an exam has on average 6-8 open-ended questions. Using a shared pool does not mean every school sets the same questions or exams of the same difficulty.

What parents should know

• Marks are entered question by question in e-Okul. This shows more clearly which learning outcomes a student found difficult; the system produces analyses at student, class and section level.
• Questions can be discussed in class but not shared. After results are announced, teachers may go through the questions and the answer key with the class; taking questions out of school or sharing them online or on social media is prohibited.
• Make-up exams take place between 23 and 27 November 2026, as scheduled by each school.
• No practice exams at school. Circular 2026/70 does not allow practice or screening exams that rank students against each other or add costs for parents, other than the Ministry's own common exams and assessment tools.
• The LGS and YKS question model will change in 2028. MEB has announced that a question model aligned with the new curriculum will be used in LGS and YKS from 2028, that this is not a change to the exam system, and that multiple-choice questions will continue.

11-12 November: the national common exams

According to the guide from MEB's Directorate General for Measurement, Assessment and Exam Services:

• Each exam lasts 40 minutes, with open-ended or open-ended and short-answer questions, marked out of 100.
• The Ministry writes the questions and answer keys; the school's teachers mark the papers.
• Students sit the exam in their own school and classroom; the subject teacher does not invigilate.
• The make-up exam is on Wednesday 25 November 2026. The parent of a student with a valid reason must notify the school administration in writing within five working days of the exam.
• No ranked lists of students are produced, and no comparisons are made between schools or classes.

No special preparation is needed for exam day: arriving rested and having had breakfast, as on any school day, is enough.

What it means at TED Üsküdar College

• Middle school (grades 5-7): Written exams in OYSS subjects are prepared through the system. Grade 6 students sit the national mathematics exam on 11 November. For our approach to assessment, see our middle school assessment page.
• High school preparatory year: Our high school has a one-year English preparatory class. According to MEB's guide, all subjects in preparatory classes are outside OYSS. To learn more about the preparatory year, read our guide to high schools with an English preparatory year.
• Grades 9 and 10: OYSS subjects are examined through the system; grade 10 students sit the national literature exam on 12 November.
• Grade 11 and the IB Diploma Programme: According to MEB's guide, in grade 11 sections that follow an international diploma programme, only Turkish language and literature, mathematics, history, and religious culture and ethics are examined through OYSS; if mathematics is taught as an elective and delivered through the IB, mathematics is also outside the scope. For how the IB is recognised in Turkey, see our IB diploma guide.

You can raise questions about exam dates and results with your child's subject teacher. Prospective parents can contact our Admissions Office on +90 216 424 44 44 for information about our middle and high school programmes.