Erdem Aydemir
Division Coordinator
Placement Test
All students who are accepted to Istinye University are required to take İSÜ Placement Test. The test is composed of 3 parts, which are “language use”, “vocabulary knowledge” and “reading”. The students are placed into suitable language proficiency level groups based on their results. The students who are classified as B1 level or above are accepted into Istinye University English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP). Students who score 60 or above are exempt from English preparatory education.
English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP)
In one academic year, ISTEP (Istinye English Proficiency Exam) is administered 4 times in October, January, June and August. Students who score over 70 in İSÜ Placement Test, which is held 2 days before İstinye University English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) are accepted to the first ISTEP in October. Students who score lower are not accepted to this first exam in October.
Only the students who have reached or successfully completed B2 level can take ISTEP in January, June and August. Before each exam, the list of students who are eligible to take the exam is announced.
Students who score 60 or above in ISTEP are considered to have successfully completed the English Preparatory Program. Students who score below 60 points cannot start the department education. They are expected to enter the next ISTEP and succeed.
The Istinye University English Proficiency Exam is composed of 3 parts: listening, reading and writing.
The listening part consists of one section.
• Selective Listening: In this section, the students are given a question sheet. The students are expected to answer the questions while listening to a lecture.
Click here for sample Selective Listening questions and the answer key.
Click here for the sample Selective Listening audio track.
The listening part consists of one section.
• Selective Listening: In this section, the students are given a question sheet. The students are expected to answer the questions while listening to a lecture.
Click here for sample Selective Listening questions and the answer key.
Click here for the sample Selective Listening audio track.
The reading part consists of one section.
• Reading 1: In this section, the students are given an academic reading text of approximately 1000 words and a list of questions. The students need to read the text carefully to answer the questions. The questions must be answered in 40 minutes.
Click here for Reading 1 sample reading text, questions, and the answer key.
The writing part consists of one section.
• In this section, the students are expected to write an essay of 250-300 words.
Click here for sample Writing questions.
The writing part lasts 40 minutes in total.
Assessment: Each part is evaluated out of 100 points. The score of each part affects the average in the following proportions: Listening 30%, Reading 30%, Writing 40%. The students who score 60 or more pass the exam.
Level Education Assessment Exams
Each level consists of a 14-week-long education program. During this 14-week-long period, our students are evaluated according to the following assessment system:
2 Content-Based Exams – 20%
2 Quarter Exams – 30%
Alternative Assessment – 50%
According to these assessment criteria, students who achieve an average score of 70 or above are eligible to take the Level Achievement Exam. Students who score below 70 cannot take the exam and are required to repeat the level.
Level Achievement Exam
The Level Achievement Exam is administered to all students at the same level at the same time. It is designed to measure the success of students who have completed the 14-week-long education program. Students who are eligible to take this exam and score 70 or above continue to the next level. Those who score below 70 are required to repeat the level.
Other Exams Recognized and Accepted by Our University for Exemption
Students can submit an official TOEFL (either the TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, LanguageCert Academic, CPE (C2 Proficiency), CAE (C1 Advanced), Oxford Test of English / Advanced, Linguaskill General, and e-Tep score to be exempt from the Istinye English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) and the English Preparatory Program. Students that successfully send 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 Academic
The minimum score for admission is 60. 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 (C1 Advanced) and CPE (C2 Proficiency)
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.
Oxford Test of English / Advanced
The minimum score for admission is 110. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
Linguaskill General
The minimum score for admission is 150. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
e-Tep
The minimum score for admission is 75. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.