Turkey's YKS university entrance exam draws over 1.6 million candidates

Millions of students took Turkey's nationwide university entrance exam, the Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı (YKS), on Saturday. The second session, the Alan Yeterlilik Testleri (AYT), began at 10:15 a.m. with 1,627,960 candidates scheduled to sit in 4,400 buildings and 86,761 rooms. In Istanbul, large crowds of examinees and their families gathered outside test centers, expressing excitement and nervous anticipation.

A striking human‑interest story emerged from Mardin, where 70‑year‑old Halil Sarıgül sat the exam alongside his 25‑year‑old son Zafer Burak Sarıgül, both hoping to gain admission to the same university faculty. Their joint effort highlighted the exam's broad appeal across ages and generations.

The YKS remains a pivotal moment for Turkish students aspiring to university studies, with candidates targeting diverse fields such as medicine, veterinary science, journalism, and law.