Ahmet Kocataş, a student of the Yamanlar College in İzmir’s Karşıyaka district, was announced to receive the highest score in the Higher Education Examination (YGS), the first-round exam of the university entrance system that was taken on March 13.
İzmir’s Yamanlar College was established in 1982 by the volunteers from the faith-based Gülen movement — also known as the Hizmet movement — a civil society initiative inspired by the views of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) announced the results of the YGS – taken by over 2 million students – on its official website early on Friday.
ÖSYM calculated the results of 2,084,091 students out of 2,117,077 because exams taken by some of the students were regarded as invalid. 75.60 percent of all the students who attended the exam received scores higher than 180.
The 15th question in the mathematics test and the ninth question in the physical sciences test were reportedly canceled after an evaluation of objections against some of the exam questions. While calculating the results, the two cancelled questions are deemed by ÖSYM as correctly answered by all students.
Each year, the YGS — in which students answer 160 questions in the fields of Turkish language, social sciences, mathematics and physical sciences in 160 minutes — is held in March. Those who pass the YGS qualify to take the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS) — the second-round exam of the new university entrance system — to gain admission to an undergraduate department. Students who take just the YGS are only able to apply for associate degree programs.
Students will be able to apply for the LYS from April 1 through 14.