YÖKDİL Guide: Format, Fields & Strategy
YÖKDİL (Yükseköğretim Kurumları Yabancı Dil Sınavı) is taken mainly by master's and PhD applicants, research assistants and academics applying for associate professorship (doçentlik). Candidates choose one of three field booklets when they apply: Social Sciences, Health Sciences or Natural Sciences. The choice cannot be changed later.
There is also a computer-based version, e-YÖKDİL (English only), held in a few cities with limited places; its results are announced much faster. Always check current dates, fees and the minimum scores of your university on the official ÖSYM and university websites.
Because there is no penalty for wrong answers, never leave a question blank.
| Feature | YÖKDİL |
|---|---|
| Questions / time | 80 multiple-choice questions, 180 minutes |
| Scoring | 1.25 points per correct answer (maximum 100); wrong answers do not cancel correct ones |
| Fields | Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences |
| Typical use | postgraduate admission, associate professorship, preparatory-year exemption |
These numbers are based on recent exams and preparation sources; ÖSYM can change the distribution, so check the latest booklet.
| Question type | Approx. number |
|---|---|
| Vocabulary | 6 |
| Grammar | 14 |
| Cloze test | 10 |
| Sentence completion | 11 |
| Translation (EN→TR and TR→EN) | 12 |
| Reading comprehension | 15 |
| Paragraph completion | 6 |
| Irrelevant sentence | 6 |
If you read many articles in your own field, YÖKDİL usually feels easier, because the vocabulary and topics are familiar. If you need the score for a language allowance, take YDS.
| YÖKDİL | YDS | |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Field-specific academic texts | General and academic texts for everyone |
| Dialogue and situation questions | No | Yes |
| Language allowance (dil tazminatı) | Not accepted | Accepted |
| Postgraduate study, doçentlik | Accepted | Accepted |
- Learn the vocabulary of your field. Read abstracts of articles in your field and note recurring academic words.
- Grammar and cloze (24 questions) follow the same logic as in YDS: tenses, conjunctions, relative clauses and prepositions. The YDS units on this site apply directly.
- Translation (12 questions) is the most reliable source of points: find the main verb and the main clause first, then eliminate options that change the meaning.
- Time: 180 minutes for 80 questions is about two minutes per question. Do grammar and translation quickly and leave about 60 minutes for reading.
- 1. Question types: Vocabulary & grammar (1–20) · Cloze (21–30) · Sentence completion (31–41) · Translation (42–53) · Reading (54–68) · Paragraph completion & irrelevant sentence (69–80).
- 2. Your field: learn the key vocabulary and practise with texts from Social, Health or Natural Sciences.
- 3. Full practice exam: solve the 80-question exam for your field in 180 minutes: Social · Health · Natural Sciences.
- 4. Extra practice: the question logic is the same as in YDS, so the YDS section and its three full exams are excellent additional practice.