Turkish Language Exam (in Turkish: Türkçe Dil Sınavı, acronymized as TDS®), is an internet-based Turkish language exam that determines levels of individuals in Turkish as a foreign language, enables them to enter the foreign language exam, and finally certifies their Turkish language level degree.
In the recent years, a large number of studies have been conducted in the field of teaching and training of Turkish with the increasing demand of Turkish as a foreign language. However, the teaching of Turkish has not been fully integrated into a systematic whole until now. That is because every education institute that teaches Turkish has its different scoring systems, which act only with its own measurement and evaluation system. Nevertheless, with TDS®, we aim to provide interdepartmental unity between the institutes that teach Turkish as foreign language, bring measurement and evaluation stages into systematic status, and also to deliver quality to the concept of teaching Turkish.
Exam questions in TDS® system are prepared by experts in the field of Turkish language in HIRMIZY GROUP who has been working since eleven years in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language within its own structure and jointly with institutions and universities.
To keep the quality standard of the questions always at the highest, a comprehensive Research and Development (R&D) study was conducted to achieve that goal. As a result of the mentioned process, question preparation guidelines were prepared for both of the examiner and the evaluator. In the guidelines, it was attempted to establish a definite standard by combining acquisitions in accordance with ‘Common European Framework of Reference’ standards and grammar acquisitions achieved by Turkish education institutes. Thanks to these guidelines, each examiner and evaluator in our team became able to prepare different questions in the same high quality. The exams prepared by the expert team are submitted to the arbitration of academicians specialized in field of Turkish education, measurement and evaluation. Questions that are found appropriate by the arbitrator evaluation will also have to pass the approval of the editor in order to be considered and included in the examination system.
There are thre types of exams in TDS exam system:
Four different certification exams are conducted for each of B1, B2, C1, and C2 levels. The student may apply to obtain the certificate of the level he/she desires.
Distribution of Questions and Scoring:
Skill |
Number of questions |
Time Period |
Score |
Reading |
40 questions |
60 minutes |
25 points |
Listening |
20 questions |
30 minutes |
25 points |
Writing |
2 tasks |
50 minutes |
25 points |
Speaking |
2 tasks |
20 minutes |
25 points |
*Grammar learning outcome is measured within skill exams.
Total of 64 questions within 160 minutes (excluding break-time and listening texts).
This exam, which allows beginner students to measure their level of learning Turkish, proceeds with a stepped measurement system that includes exam questions from A1 to C2 levels. Examination takes place in two parts. In the exam, for example, the level of a student who cannot reach the base question number determined at ‘level B1’, will be automatically defined by the system as ‘level A2’ student without seeing the questions of ‘level B2’. In the second part, the student will take speaking and writing exams of ‘level A2’. Students who score 60 as a base score from these exams are considered successful at ‘level A2’ and defined as ‘level A2’ students. In the second part, the student who fails to get 60 as the base score is considered as unsuccessful in the level exam and will considered as ‘level A1’ student.
Distribution of Questions and Scoring:
Skill |
Number of questions |
Time Period |
Reading |
10 questions from each level |
90 minutes in total |
Listening |
10 questions from each level |
90 minutes in total |
Writing |
2 tasks from each level |
50 minutes in total |
Speaking |
2 tasks from each level |
20 minutes in total |
It is defined as the exam performed for students who reach the end of each level during the course of learning Turkish. Each level exam is prepared separately from A1 to C2 levels.
Distribution of Questions and Scoring:
Skill |
Number of questions |
Time Period |
Reading |
10 questions |
15 minutes in total |
Listening |
10 questions |
15 minutes in total |
Writing |
2 tasks |
50 minutes in total |
Speaking |
2 tasks |
20 minutes in total |
Our online TDS® system that is developed with a professional academic infrastructure prioritizes the application security of the exam:
Students can make pre-application for the exam by entering ‘user registration’ in ‘Exam Participants’ section on TDS® website. The application will be approved by visiting one of the authorized examination centers. The exam is taken by the student at the specified day and time. Exam results are announced within 14 days. Detailed evaluation report and certificate can be seen by the student immediately by logging into user account, or by approaching the examination center, or by requesting to be sent by courier.
For more information, please visit our websites ‘www.onlinetds.org’ and ‘www.turkcedilsinavi.com’.
TDS® is the easiest form of Turkish Certification Exam for foreigners.
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