Below are short explanations of terms that come up often in the Turkish school system and on TED Üsküdar College's pages. Terms are grouped by topic, with links to our guides for more detail. Turkish names are given in italics.
The school system
4+4+4
The structure of compulsory education in Turkey: four years of primary school (grades 1-4), four years of middle school (grades 5-8) and four years of high school (grades 9-12).
Preschool (okul öncesi)
The stage before primary school. TED Üsküdar College teaches groups for ages 4 and 5 (48-72 months).
Anatolian high school (Anadolu lisesi)
An academically focused type of high school in Turkey. TED Üsküdar College's high school is a private Anatolian high school.
Preparatory year (hazırlık sınıfı)
A one-year intensive foreign language year that some high schools offer before grade 9. At TED Üsküdar College the preparatory year has 21 hours of English a week. See high schools with an English preparatory year.
School level (kademe)
The stages of a school: preschool, primary, middle and high school. "Level transition" (kademe geçişi) means a student moving up to the next level at the same school.
MEB
Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı, the Ministry of National Education. State and private schools in Turkey come under the Ministry, which sets the national curriculum.
Private school (özel okul)
A fee-paying school under the Ministry. Private schools follow the national curriculum and may offer additional programmes.
Exams and scores
LGS
Liselere Geçiş Sistemi, the high school entrance system. The national exam the Ministry holds for grade 8 students. It is used for placement at state high schools; private high schools may also use the LGS result for admission and scholarships. See LGS scholarships at private high schools.
MSP
Merkezi Sınav Puanı, the central exam score. The score a student receives in the LGS.
Percentile (yüzdelik dilim)
Where a student stands among everyone who sat an exam. The top 1% band means the highest-scoring 1 per cent of candidates. LGS results show national and provincial percentiles.
TOGS
TED Okulları Giriş Sınavı, the TED Schools Entrance Exam. The exam used by Turkish Education Association schools for middle and high school admission. The questions are set by TED headquarters. See What is TOGS?
YKS
Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı, the higher education institutions exam. The exam run by ÖSYM for entry to universities in Turkey. It has three sessions: TYT (basic proficiency test), AYT (field proficiency tests) and YDT (foreign language test).
OBP
Ortaöğretim Başarı Puanı, the secondary school achievement score. The high school diploma grade (out of 100) multiplied by 5, giving a score between 250 and 500. Twelve per cent of the OBP is added to the YKS score.
ÖSYM
The Measuring, Selection and Placement Centre — the body that runs the YKS.
YÖK
The Council of Higher Education, which regulates universities in Turkey.
Placement test (seviye tespit sınavı)
A test used to decide the right grade for some students who come from abroad or have no school documents. It is not used for primary grades 1-4.
Admission and documents
Equivalence certificate (denklik belgesi)
A certificate showing what years of schooling abroad correspond to in the Turkish system. Issued in Turkey by provincial or district directorates of national education, and abroad by the education counsellor's offices at Turkish embassies. See enrolling a foreign student in a Turkish school.
e-Denklik
The Ministry's online system for equivalence applications.
Foreigner identification number (yabancı kimlik numarası)
The ID number given to foreign nationals with a Turkish residence permit. It serves as the student's Turkish ID number for school registration.
Student Assessment (Öğrenci Tanıma Çalışması)
The assessment carried out by the Psychological Counselling and Guidance Unit during admission at TED Üsküdar College to get to know the student and family. It applies at every level and is not an exam.
Transfer (nakil)
A student moving from one school to another. TED Üsküdar College does not accept transfer students from other schools into high school grades 11 and 12.
Early registration (erken kayıt)
Registration for the next school year at the start of the registration period. A discount may apply.
Merit scholarship (başarı bursu)
A reduction in tuition based on exam or academic performance. TED Üsküdar College has an LGS Merit Scholarship, merit scholarships based on TOGS held every January, and internal scholarships (75%, 50%, 25%) for the top three students at each level by year-end ranking; rates are announced each year.
TED Full Education Scholarship (Tam Eğitim Bursu)
The scholarship the Turkish Education Association has given since 2003-2004 to successful students with limited financial means. See What is the Turkish Education Association?
School life
e-Okul
The Ministry's student information system, which holds grades, attendance and registration details. Parents follow it through the e-Okul Parent Information System (VBS).
K12NET
The school portal used by TED Üsküdar College. Progress, announcements and events are shared on K12NET, and parents book meetings with teachers and administrators there.
School report (karne)
The document given at the end of each term, showing grades and attendance.
PDR / guidance service (rehberlik)
Psikolojik Danışmanlık ve Rehberlik, psychological counselling and guidance — the school unit that supports students' academic, social and emotional development.
School-parent association (Okul Aile Birliği)
An association of parents that works with the school.
Bilingual teaching (iki dilli eğitim)
Teaching in which part of the curriculum is delivered in a foreign language. See What is a bilingual primary school?
The IB Diploma Programme
IB
International Baccalaureate. An international education foundation set up in Geneva in 1968, and its programmes.
IB World School
A school authorised to offer an IB programme. TED Üsküdar College has been an IB World School offering the IB Diploma Programme since 2025.
DP
Diploma Programme. The IB's two-year programme for ages 16-19. In Turkey it usually runs in grades 11 and 12 alongside the national curriculum. See Is the IB Diploma recognised in Turkey?
HL and SL
Higher Level (240 hours) and Standard Level (150 hours). An IB student takes three subjects at Higher Level and the rest at Standard Level.
EE
Extended Essay. An independent research project in a subject the student chooses.
TOK
Theory of Knowledge. A compulsory course on how knowledge is built; assessed through an exhibition and a 1,600-word essay.
CAS
Creativity, Activity, Service. A compulsory component made up of arts, sport and community service.
AP (Advanced Placement)
The College Board's university-level high school courses and their May exams in the United States. Because Turkish regulations do not allow a school to offer another international programme in a foreign language alongside the IB, students at TED schools can take AP courses online through TED Headquarters' agreement with Providence Country Day School in the US.
Predicted grades
The grades a school forecasts a student will achieve in the IB final exams and reports to universities. Used especially for conditional offers in the United Kingdom. See applying to university abroad.
Specific to TED Üsküdar College
TED
Türk Eğitim Derneği, the Turkish Education Association. The association founded in 1928 that runs TED schools.
YEDO
Yurt Dışı Eğitim Danışmanlık Ofisi, the Overseas Education Counselling Office. The unit at TED Üsküdar College that manages applications to universities abroad.
TED-Canada Student Exchange Programme
A programme in which students of TED schools study for a month, a term or a year at state schools in Nova Scotia, Canada. See the TED-Canada guide.
For other questions, see our Frequently Asked Questions or call +90 216 424 44 44.