Foreign Languages

International Students Division

gokcan

Gökcan Aydın

International Students Division Coordinator

Like all students accepted to Istinye University, international students are also expected to prove the necessary language skills in the medium of instruction of their departments to start and continue their studies. These language skills are academically focused and crucial for students to get the most out of their education in the upcoming years. 

 

As the Foreign Languages Department, we administer Proficiency exams in English and Turkish for international students repeatedly for a certain period every semester to assess their academic skills in the target language. When the students complete their registration, the International Office sends a Registration Completion Document to their ISU or personal e-mail addresses. The date of their English/Turkish proficiency exam is written on that document. Students should either take the English or Turkish Proficiency Exam on their assigned dates depending on the medium of instruction of their departments.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have completed your registration, the Registration Office must have sent a Registration Completion Document to your ISU e-mail address. Please see that document for the date of your exam. You must contact the Registration Office if you have not received your Registration Completion Document.

International students are expected to take the exam on their assigned date. If you have an emergency that keeps you from being on campus that day, you should contact Noorhan Qasim Mohammed ALANI (noorhan.alani@istinye.edu.tr), International Students Responsible, to carefully explain your emergency and ask for a change. Please be reminded that students are advised to take the exam by the time the Preparatory Program classes start (please see ISU Academic Calendar for the dates).

ISTEP for International Students is different from the ISTEP administered to all students 4 times a year (in October, January, June, and August). For international students, we administer two exams on the assigned exam dates. On the exam date, you will first take an online Cambridge Placement Test (CEPT Reading and Listening) to understand your level. Then, you will take a writing exam to prove your Academic Writing skills. In the Writing Exam, you will be asked to write an essay. If your calculated score proves a minimum of B2-level English proficiency (70 out of 100), you will be exempt from the English Preparatory Program and start your studies in your department right away. If not, you will be assigned to classes appropriate for your level and study in the Preparatory Program in the following year.

Students who will study in Turkish-medium programs should visit https://yabancidiller.istinye.edu.tr/en/divisions/turkish-preparatory-division for more information on the Turkish Proficiency Exam and Turkish Preparatory Program.
 

The Istinye University English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) for international students is a skills- based exam composed of 3 parts: listening, reading, and writing. You can see a sample of the online Placement Test (Reading & Listening) here:

https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery/Assessment/Assignment?test=CEPT_Demo

In the Writing Exam, you will be asked to write an academic essay composed of at least four paragraphs including an introduction, two body paragraphs supporting your arguments with relevant details, and a conclusion. Your essays will be graded on the basis of content, organization, coherence, vocabulary range and accuracy, grammatical range and accuracy, and punctuation.
 

All results are announced on the website of the Istinye University Foreign Languages Department: https://yabancidiller.istinye.edu.tr/en/

International students who cannot prove B2-level English proficiency in the ISTEP exam will be entered into the Preparatory School and should wait for the class lists announcement later for their Preparatory School Classes. These students cannot retake the exam and will follow the exam calendar of the Preparatory School once they start their Prep. School education.

It is crucial for the students to take the exam assigned to them. However, if you miss your exam date due to an emergency, you should contact Noorhan Qasim Mohammed ALANI (noorhan.alani@istinye.edu.tr), International Students Responsible, once you are ready to take the exam to be added to the list for the upcoming exam. Please do not send any notifications before then, and remember to include your student number in your email. Kindly be reminded that the number of exams you can take is limited, and it is your responsibility to follow your exam/class schedule.

Students can submit an official TOEFL (either the TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, LanguageCert, CPE, or CAE score to be exempt from the Istinye English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) and the English Preparatory Program. Students that successfully sent their scores and are eligible for exemption will be announced on our website weekly. Please find the confirmation details of each exam below.

Students who certify that they graduated from a high school (local or international) where the medium of instruction is 100% English with their transcripts etc., are also exempt from the English Preparatory Program and do not need to submit an exam result. These students need to submit their certificates to the International Office during registration (Having taken English courses or the language of instruction being partially English does not qualify for an exemption.)

TOEFL

The minimum score for admission is 75 on Internet-based tests. Please note that official TOEFL scores must be ordered from ETS and sent to Istinye University Foreign Languages Department Undergraduate Organization (reporting code C821). Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.

IELTS Academic

The minimum score for admission is 6.0. Please send your Test Report Form (TRF) number to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.

PTE Academic

The minimum score for admission is 55. Please send your Score Report Code to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.

LanguageCert

The minimum score for admission is 70. Please send your Certificate number to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.

CEA and CPE

The minimum score for admission is C for CPE and B for CEA. Please send your score reports to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.,

Proficiency scores of international students are accepted by the Foreign Languages Department any time before they start the Prep. School. International Students in the Prep. School should follow the timeline and deadlines of the Prep. School.

No, you cannot. We have tested the validity of our test multiple times. Your subjective comparison of yourself with other students at your level cannot be the data we can use to assess your proficiency.

If you have a question that we were not able to answer here, please send an email to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr briefly stating your question. Please note that you need to ask your question clearly in the body part of your email (not the subject line) and include your student number in your message.