How to Make TR-YÖS Preferences (A Practical Guide to Choosing the Right Programs)
Getting your TR-YÖS result can feel like holding a key, but the key only works if you choose the right doors. Making TR-YÖS preferences means selecting and ranking the university programs you want after you receive your TR-YÖS score, so your score can be used for placement or evaluation.
Here’s the part many students learn the hard way: TR-YÖS is a centralized exam run by ÖSYM, but each university can still set its own international student rules, even when it accepts TR-YÖS. One university may ask for a language certificate at application time, while another asks for it during final registration, and that difference can decide whether you keep your seat.
This guide gives you a clear, step-by-step plan to build a smart preference list, avoid programs you don’t qualify for, submit the right files, and stay on top of deadlines so you don’t lose a placement because of paperwork.
Understand TR-YÖS preferences, what they are and what they are not
Think of TR-YÖS preferences like writing a “shopping list” before checkout, where your budget is your score and the items have limited stock. You’re not just picking what you like, you’re ranking options that may have quotas, minimum scores, and extra conditions.
TR-YÖS is a standardized exam administered by ÖSYM, and it focuses on quantitative reasoning and basic math with 80 questions in 100 minutes, while being offered in multiple languages (including Turkish, English, Arabic, French, Russian, and German). Even with a standardized exam, the placement route can vary, because some schools use centralized preference systems while others use their own university portals for international applications.
To stay grounded, learn the terms you’ll see in announcements, because they show you how competitive a program is and how decisions are made.
| Term you’ll see | What it usually means in practice |
|---|---|
| Quota | The number of seats available for international students in that program. |
| Minimum score | The lowest TR-YÖS score a university says it will consider (some publish it, some don’t). |
| Evaluation type | How the university ranks candidates, such as TR-YÖS only, or TR-YÖS plus GPA. |
| Application window | The dates when you can submit your application and upload documents. |
| Placement results | The published outcome, which can be accepted, conditional, waitlisted, or rejected. |
Deadlines and steps can change each year, even at the same university, so you should confirm current rules from official announcements and guides before you submit anything.
Who can use a TR-YÖS score, and how long the score is valid
TR-YÖS is designed mainly for international students applying to undergraduate programs in Türkiye, and it also applies to some Turkish citizens who completed high school abroad, depending on the eligibility rules published by ÖSYM in the exam guide for that year. In plain terms, many foreign nationals can apply, and some applicants with special status (such as Blue Card holders or certain dual citizens) may also be eligible, but the exact categories should always be checked in the official guide because small details can change.
Most students also want to know how long a score “stays alive,” and recent official guidance indicates that TR-YÖS scores are generally valid for two years from the exam date. Even with a valid score, a university might still limit which exam sessions it accepts for that intake, so you should verify the accepted exam dates in each university’s call for applications.
How preferences differ from “application documents” and “final registration”
Many students use the word “preferences” to describe the whole process, but it helps to separate the stages so nothing slips through.
Preferences are your program choices and their order, which means you decide where your score will be used first. Application documents are what prove you meet the program rules, such as identity documents, diploma status, transcripts, and language certificates. Final registration is the in-person or official enrollment step after acceptance, where universities often require original documents, verified translations, and any missing approvals.
Students can lose a seat after acceptance if they can’t deliver the required originals on time, if their diploma status isn’t final, or if their equivalency steps are not completed when the university demands them. It’s like booking a flight with the right name, because even one letter mismatch can stop you at the gate, even if you paid for the ticket.
Get ready before you choose: build a smart preference list that matches your profile
A strong preference list starts before you touch any application screen. You’ll make better choices when you collect the facts that universities use to evaluate you, and when you compare programs side by side instead of relying on memory.
A simple spreadsheet works well for this, because it lets you see your options like a map instead of a pile of tabs. You can keep it basic while still making it powerful.
| Spreadsheet column | What to write there |
|---|---|
| University and department | Exact faculty and program name as announced. |
| Instruction language | Turkish, English, or mixed, plus any prep year notes. |
| Required documents | Passport, photo rules, transcript, diploma status, translations. |
| Minimum score or typical range | Only when the university publishes it, never by guessing. |
| Quota and competition notes | International quota, and how popular the program is. |
| Tuition and fees | Tuition, deposit rules, and scholarship notes if published. |
| City and living costs | Rent style, transport needs, and realistic budget estimate. |
| Personal fit | Your interest, your strengths, and your plan for language learning. |
Once you see your choices clearly, you can build a balanced list (safe, match, reach) that fits both your goals and your score reality, without turning your whole future into a single gamble.
Check each program’s requirements: language, department rules, and documents
Every program choice should pass a quick “requirements check,” because the most common preference mistake is choosing programs you like, but can’t register for.
Start with the language of instruction, because it affects both admission and your first-year success. Many universities require proof of English for English-taught programs (often through exams like TOEFL or IELTS), and they may require Turkish proficiency for Turkish-taught programs, sometimes through their own Turkish exams or recognized certificates, and the timing of when you must submit proof can differ.
Then check department rules that can be easy to miss, such as high school subject expectations for certain majors, special faculty rules, or extra steps like interviews for some programs. Also pay attention to document formats, because universities may reject files due to unclear scans, missing stamps, outdated photos, or translations that do not match their rules.
You should also learn the basics of diploma equivalency (denklik) early, because it can affect when you can finalize registration, especially if the university wants proof that your high school diploma is recognized under Turkish standards. Even if denklik is not required at application time, it may become a hard deadline later, so early planning saves you stress when results arrive.
Choose realistic options: balance popular majors with your score and quotas
Competition is real, especially in majors like Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Engineering, and high-demand programs at top universities, where quotas for international students can be limited. Because quotas are fixed, the program might “fill up” with high scores quickly, even when many students meet the minimum requirement.
Some universities publish minimum scores, and some guidance in recent admissions information shows high thresholds for certain health majors, for example, some Medicine programs may require around 400 out of 500, and some Dentistry programs may require around 350, while many other faculties may set minimums closer to 200. These numbers are not universal rules, so you should treat them as signals of competitiveness, then confirm the exact minimums and acceptance rules in each university’s announcement.
A simple method keeps your list safe without killing ambition:
Reach options: A few top programs you’d love, where you meet requirements but competition is intense.
Match options: Several choices where your score and profile align with published minimums or typical admitted ranges when they exist.
Safe options: One or two programs where you clearly meet requirements and the quota pressure is usually lower.
This balance matters because an “all-dream” list can leave you with no placement, while an “all-safe” list can leave you wondering why you didn’t aim higher.
How to make TR-YÖS preferences step by step (without costly mistakes)
Once you’ve built your list, the goal is to submit it correctly, within the right system, while keeping proof that you did everything on time. The exact portal and number of allowed preferences can change by year or by university, so your workflow should be stable while your details stay flexible.
A practical workflow looks like this: confirm official dates, confirm system and limits, prepare files, submit preferences carefully, then save proof of submission.
Find official preference screens and announcements, then confirm dates and limits
Start from official sources, which usually means ÖSYM announcements for TR-YÖS processes and the international student admissions pages of the universities you plan to choose. When you find the correct announcement, write down key dates in one place so you don’t rely on memory while you’re stressed.
Track these dates, because they often come in separate parts:
Application start and end date, document upload window, evaluation period, and result date, plus any extra placement round dates if they exist. You should also confirm the preference limit, because some systems allow long lists, and others restrict the number of choices, which changes how you prioritize.
If you find conflicting information, trust the latest official PDF or announcement on the institution’s site, and avoid social media summaries that may mix rules from different years.
Submit your preferences, upload files correctly, and keep a submission record
When it’s time to submit, go slowly and treat accuracy like a checklist, because small entry errors can cause big problems later. Program names and codes must match what the system expects, and your personal details must match your passport, including spelling and passport number format.
For files, aim for clean scans that look like they came from a scanner, not a shaky phone photo. Many systems reject uploads that exceed size limits, are in the wrong format, or are hard to read, and some universities require translations or notarized copies depending on the document and country.
Before you click submit, do one final review that covers what universities and systems commonly check:
- Your email address and phone number are correct and active, and you can access them daily.
- Your preference order matches your real priorities, not what friends told you to pick.
- Your TR-YÖS score entry matches the official result exactly, with no rounding or guessing.
- Your passport scan is clear, and your passport will stay valid through enrollment dates.
- Your language certificates are uploaded if required, and they match the program language.
- Your diploma status documents are included, whether final diploma or temporary graduation proof.
After submission, save proof immediately, because proof is your safety net if the system crashes, the upload fails, or your application status looks wrong later. Screenshots, confirmation PDFs, and email confirmations all help, and it’s smart to store them in two places, such as your phone and a cloud folder.
Missing a deadline usually means waiting for the next application period, so submitting early gives you time to fix issues while the system is still open.
After you submit: results, acceptance, and what to do if you are not placed
After submission, your job changes from “choosing” to “responding fast,” because many universities give short windows for acceptance steps and registration. You should check results through the official channel that your application system uses, and you should watch your email daily because universities may send extra instructions after results.
If you’re accepted, you’ll usually move into steps like accepting the offer, preparing original documents, and planning your visa and travel timeline. Some universities also require a pre-registration step, and some published procedures show that schools may ask for a deposit to secure the seat, sometimes a percentage of tuition such as 25 percent, with the remaining balance due during final registration, so you should read fee rules carefully before you commit.
How to read placement results and complete final registration on time
Placement outcomes often fall into a few categories, and each category requires a different response.
Accepted usually means you can register if you bring all required originals and meet timelines. Conditional acceptance often means you are accepted but still must provide something by a deadline, such as a language certificate, final graduation proof, or an equivalency related document. Waitlisted means you should keep monitoring, because spots can open if other students don’t register. Rejected means you should move to backup plans quickly, while new calls are still open.
Final registration tends to be strict, because universities often ask for original documents, certified translations when required, and consistency across every document. If your name spelling differs between documents, or if your transcript does not match your diploma, the university may pause or cancel registration until the issue is fixed, and that can be enough to miss the deadline.
If you are not accepted: improve your next round strategy
Not getting accepted hurts, but it also gives you data, and data is what improves your next attempt. Start by identifying the most likely reason, because the fix depends on the cause.
Common reasons include heavy quota pressure, missing a requirement, a score that was not competitive for that major, incorrect or unclear documents, or a list that had no safe choices. Once you know the reason, you can act in a way that actually changes the outcome.
These next steps tend to work well for the next round:
Adjust list balance so you include safe options alongside competitive programs.
Strengthen language proof early, because language issues often cause conditional status or lost seats.
Consider a different campus or related department if your goal is the field, not the brand name.
Plan a retake if your score is far below competitive ranges for your target major, since TR-YÖS is offered in multiple sessions and scores are valid for a limited time.
A simple calendar can protect you from missing the next window, because international student calls can overlap, and deadlines can arrive faster than you expect when you are collecting stamps, translations, and originals.
Conclusion
Successful TR-YÖS preferences come from doing the unglamorous work well, which means checking official requirements, building a balanced list, submitting correct documents, and tracking every deadline. When you treat the process like a plan instead of a wish, your score becomes much more powerful. Make your checklist today, verify rules only from official sources, and submit early enough to fix problems before the deadline. With smart preferences, you don’t just hope for a seat, you give yourself several real chances to earn one.