Turkey's 2026 University Entrance Exam Preference Period Opens July 29
The 2026 University Entrance Exam (YKS) in Turkey attracted 2,425,627 candidates, with 2,255,076 taking the basic test, 1,473,113 the subject test and 143,270 the foreign language test. The preference (placement) period runs from 29 July to 10 August 2026 via the ÖSYM online portal (AIS).
A total of 805,747 university seats are available, of which 602,117 are state‑run, 184,914 private and 18,716 allocated to institutions in the Turkish‑Cypriot region. Special quotas exist for women over 34, war‑victim families and related groups. The Higher Education Council (YÖK) announced that the YÖK Atlas tool is now fully mobile‑compatible, allowing applicants to check program rankings, minimum scores, capacities and accreditation data while making their choices.
Entities: Higher Education Council (YÖK) · Measurement, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) · Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar · Public Personnel Selection Exam (KPSS) · Turkish Civil Service
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] There are 805,747 university seats available in the 2026 YKS.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Applicants must use the ÖSYM AIS online system to submit their YKS preferences.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The YKS preference period runs from 29 July to 10 August 2026.
- [● 5 SOURCES] 2,425,627 candidates applied for the 2026 YKS exam. (5f57befd-e17a-4488-85ea-83cbafab7664, f73f8754-7524-4103-a5a3-33cf7a50c55e, 13ef52eb-b712-4ad1-804d-9980b0f44301, 2fadb0)
- [● 4 SOURCES] State universities hold 602,117 seats, private universities 184,914, and Northern Cyprus institutions 18,716.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Special quotas are reserved for women over 34, war‑victim families, and their relatives.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] YÖK Atlas was made mobile‑compatible for the 2026 YKS preference process.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Preference decisions consider success ranking, program capacity, and special quotas.