Critical Announcement Pending: Millions Await YKS 2026 Exam Calendar Dates
Expected This November: Anticipated Exam Schedule and Rumors of System Changes Dominate Students’ Agenda
ANKARA, Turkey – Millions of students and their families who dream of attending university are counting down the days until the official schedule for the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) is released. All eyes are on the Measurement, Selection, and Placement Center (ÖSYM). Based on past precedence, the definitive YKS 2026 Exam Calendar, including the exact dates for the exams, is highly anticipated to be announced within November 2025.
🗓️ Anticipated Exam and Application Dates
ÖSYM generally announces the complete exam schedule for the following year in the second half of November.
- Expected Announcement Date: The 2025 calendar was announced on November 13, 2024. Following this precedent, the YKS 2026 Exam Calendar is projected to be published during the second week of November 2025.
- Estimated Exam Dates: Although there is no official confirmation yet, based on consistent past practices, the YKS sessions are widely expected to take place on the third weekend of June 2026 (June 20–21, 2026).
- TYT (Basic Proficiency Test): Saturday, June 20, 2026 (Estimated)
- AYT (Field Proficiency Test) and YDT (Foreign Language Test): Sunday, June 21, 2026 (Estimated)
- Application Period: The application window is expected to open roughly three to four months after the calendar announcement, likely commencing in February 2026.
❓ System Reform Rumors Gain Momentum
The key concern for candidates is whether ÖSYM will introduce a fundamental format change to the YKS. Recent new implementations by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) at the high school level have fueled these speculations.
- Open-Ended Question Possibility: MEB has taken steps to implement open-ended (written) questions in school-based assessment and LGS (High School Entrance Exam), with evaluation supported by artificial intelligence. This move raises the possibility that YÖK and ÖSYM may gradually adapt the YKS format in the coming years.
- Current Status: As of now, ÖSYM has made no official announcement confirming any changes to the YKS format. According to the 2025 Guidebooks, the exam remains a multiple-choice test. However, experts caution that MEB’s structural changes will inevitably pressure the higher education entrance exam to align with the new assessment philosophy.
📌 Advice for Candidates
Until the YKS 2026 Exam Calendar is officially finalized, candidates should focus on the following recommendations:
- Planning: Students should use the estimated June dates as a baseline for scheduling mock exams and comprehensive review programs.
- Focus: Crucially, until an official announcement is made, students must continue to focus on the current format (multiple-choice) and mastering fundamental subject topics.
ÖSYM’s official announcement will be made via the osym.gov.tr website in the coming days.
