Assessment Weighting by Level

                                                    ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

1. ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEM

The Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship monitors students’ language development in teaching Turkish as a foreign language through a reliable, transparent, and multidimensional assessment and evaluation system aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The assessment and evaluation process is designed not only to determine students’ levels of knowledge but also to support the learning process, identify areas for improvement, and systematically monitor progress in language skills.
At our Coordinatorship, three main examinations are administered at each level. The content of these examinations is structured according to students’ proficiency levels, and the four fundamental language skills—reading, listening, writing, and speaking—are assessed through an integrated approach.

A1 and A2 Level Examinations
At the A1 and A2 levels, where students develop basic language-use skills, students take the following three assessments:

• Short Quiz
• Midterm Examination
• Final Examination

Short quizzes are administered to regularly monitor students’ learning throughout the course, identify areas requiring improvement, and provide timely feedback during the learning process. These examinations assess students’ fundamental grammatical structures, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written expression skills appropriate to their respective levels.

The midterm examination comprehensively evaluates the language proficiency students have acquired during the first part of the level they are studying. The examination consists of sections assessing reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and written expression. It also aims to assess students’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary.

The final examination assesses the language learning outcomes that students are expected to achieve by the end of the level. Reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, and oral expression are assessed together in accordance with the learning outcomes of the relevant level, thereby determining students’ overall language proficiency.
 

B1, B2, and C1 Levels

At the B1, B2, and C1 levels, which aim to develop independent and proficient language users, students take the following three examinations:

• Story Examination
• Midterm Examination
• Final Examination

The story examination assesses students’ ability to understand, interpret, and analyze literary works or stories appropriate to their level. It evaluates reading comprehension, vocabulary, textual analysis, critical thinking, and written expression skills. Where necessary, students’ oral expression skills may also be incorporated into the assessment process. The story text for which students are responsible is provided by the instructor/lecturer two weeks before the examination. Students prepare for the examination by analyzing the characters, time, setting, and plot structure of the text and studying relevant vocabulary.

The midterm examination comprehensively assesses students’ academic language development during the term. The examination consists of sections assessing reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and written expression, as well as grammar, vocabulary use, and textual analysis skills.

The final examination aims to determine the extent to which students have achieved the CEFR learning outcomes expected at the end of the level. Within the scope of the final assessment, the four fundamental language skills—reading comprehension, listening comprehension, written expression, and oral expression—are assessed holistically. Students’ ability to use Turkish effectively, accurately, and fluently in academic and everyday communication is also evaluated.

Placement Test

Students who do not obtain the required score on the Turkish Exemption Examination administered by the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship take a Placement Test before beginning their educational program. The purpose of this examination is to determine students’ existing Turkish language proficiency in a reliable and objective manner and to place them at the most appropriate level.

The Placement Test is designed to assess the four fundamental language skills holistically. Students’ communicative language use, reading and listening comprehension, written expression, and oral expression skills are evaluated according to the criteria established for the relevant proficiency level.

The examination results are analyzed based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) proficiency levels, and each student is placed in the appropriate class in which they can continue their language development most effectively. This practice aims to enhance the effectiveness of the instructional process by providing students with a learning environment appropriate to their language proficiency and supporting them in achieving their learning objectives more effectively.

Question Types Used in Examinations

Various question types are used in examinations administered by the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship to assess students’ language proficiency from different perspectives. The CEFR learning outcomes serve as the basis for the development of examination questions. Accordingly, examinations assess not only students’ level of knowledge but also their ability to comprehend, interpret, and use the language in communicative contexts.

Examinations include various question types such as open-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, true/false questions, matching questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and short-answer questions. This variety enables a multidimensional assessment of students’ grammar and vocabulary knowledge, reading and listening comprehension, textual analysis, inferential skills, written expression, and communicative language use.

In assessing listening and reading skills, question types are used to measure students’ ability to identify main ideas and details, interpret texts, and draw inferences. In writing examinations, students are expected to produce paragraphs, texts, or compositions using vocabulary and grammatical structures appropriate to their proficiency level. In speaking examinations, students’ ability to express themselves fluently, accurately, and effectively and to communicate in response to given topics or situations is assessed, together with their pronunciation, vocabulary use, and grammatical competence.

The use of different question types in combination ensures that students’ language skills are assessed through a valid, reliable, and holistic approach rather than from a single perspective, thereby enhancing the objectivity and content validity of the assessment process.

1.2. EVALUATION
Students’ language proficiency is evaluated based on the four fundamental language skills. In final examinations, listening, reading, writing, and speaking are each assessed out of 25 points, with the total examination score calculated out of 100 points. This structure aims to assess not only students’ grammatical knowledge but also their ability to use Turkish effectively in communicative contexts in a balanced and holistic manner.

To be considered successful in the final examination, students must obtain at least 13 points in each of the four fundamental language skills and achieve an overall score of at least 70 points. If any of these requirements is not met, the student is not considered successful and must repeat the relevant level.

For the assessment of writing and speaking skills, CEFR-based analytic assessment rubrics are used in accordance with the learning outcomes of each level (A1, A2, B1, B2, and C1). These rubrics ensure that students’ language performance at the relevant level is assessed objectively, consistently, and according to standardized criteria.

To enhance the reliability of the assessment and evaluation process, writing and speaking examinations are independently assessed by two different instructors/lecturers. The student’s score for the relevant skill is determined by calculating the arithmetic mean of the scores awarded by the two assessors. If a difference of 5 (five) points or more is identified between the assessors’ scores, a third instructor/lecturer is appointed by the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship. In such cases, the final score is determined by calculating the arithmetic mean of the three scores.

This procedure strengthens inter-rater consistency, minimizes subjective differences in assessment, and ensures that students’ performances are evaluated in a fair, transparent, and reliable manner.

Overall Contribution of Examinations to the Achievement Grade

At the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship, students’ end-of-level achievement grade is calculated by applying predetermined weights to the assessment and evaluation instruments administered throughout the term. This approach aims to assess not only students’ performance at the end of the term but also their development throughout the learning process.

At the A1 and A2 levels, the overall achievement grade is calculated based on 20% of the short quiz, 30% of the midterm examination, and 50% of the final examination. In this way, students’ progress during the term and their language proficiency achieved at the end of the level are evaluated together.

At the B1 and C1 levels, the overall achievement grade is determined based on 20% of the story examination, 30% of the midterm examination, and 50% of the final examination. The story examination assesses students’ reading, comprehension, and interpretation skills throughout the learning process, while the midterm examination assesses listening, reading, and writing skills. The final examination comprehensively assesses students’ overall proficiency in the four fundamental language skills.

At the B2 level, in addition to written and oral examinations, students are required to prepare and deliver a presentation on a topic determined by the instructor/lecturer. This activity aims to develop and assess students’ academic communication, research, presentation, and oral expression skills. The overall achievement grade at B2 is calculated based on 10% of the presentation, 10% of the story examination, 30% of the midterm examination, and 50% of the final examination.

Through this assessment and evaluation system, students’ academic development throughout the term, communicative language skills, and proficiency attained at the end of the level are evaluated holistically. Accordingly, achievement grades are determined not on the basis of a single examination, but through a process-oriented and multidimensional assessment and evaluation approach.
 

Assessment Weighting by Level
 

Achievement Criteria

At the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship, students’ successful completion of a level depends not only on their overall examination score but also on their proficiency in the four fundamental language skills. Accordingly, students’ listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills are assessed separately.

To be considered successful in the final examination, students must obtain at least 13 points in each of the four fundamental language skills and achieve an overall score of at least 70 points. If any of these requirements is not met, the student is not considered successful and must repeat the relevant level.

This assessment approach aims to prevent students from compensating for deficiencies in certain skills solely through high performance in another skill and to ensure that they acquire balanced and adequate language proficiency in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Thus, whether students have holistically achieved the communicative language proficiency expected at the relevant CEFR level is evaluated in a reliable and fair manner.

3. EXEMPTION SYSTEM

The Turkish Exemption Examination, administered by the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship at the beginning and end of the academic term, is conducted to determine students’ existing Turkish proficiency and assess whether they may be exempted from preparatory education. The exemption examination consists of two stages, and the assessment process is conducted in accordance with the principles of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

In the first stage, students’ listening, reading, and writing skills are assessed. Based on the results of this stage, students are evaluated in three different categories according to their level of achievement.

• Students who obtain 75% or above of the total score in the written examination, which consists of listening, reading, and writing skills, meet the direct achievement criterion and are considered exempt from the Turkish Preparatory Program.
• Students who do not meet the direct exemption criterion but satisfy the minimum achievement requirements specified in the relevant directive are entitled to take the second-stage speaking examination. In the speaking examination, students are assessed according to level-appropriate criteria, including oral expression, fluency, pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, vocabulary, and communicative competence.
• Upon completion of all stages of the exemption examination, students who meet the achievement criteria specified in the Directive of the Turkish Preparatory Program Coordinatorship are exempted from the preparatory program. Students who do not meet the required achievement criteria are placed in the Turkish Preparatory Program at a level appropriate to their current language proficiency and begin their education accordingly.

Exemption Based on Year-End Achievement Average:

At the end of the academic year, the year-end achievement score is calculated by assigning a 25% weight to each of the students’ A1, A2, B1, and B2 level achievement scores and adding these weighted scores together.

To qualify for exemption based on the year-end achievement average, students must meet the following requirements:

• Not have repeated any level.
• Successfully complete at least the B2 level and obtain an overall achievement average of 80 points or above in all examinations taken up to and including the A1, A2, B1, and B2 levels, including short quizzes, story examinations, midterm examinations, and presentations.

Students who meet the above-mentioned requirements are not required to take the exemption examination