Approximately 13,000 students from 4th, 7th and 11th grades entered the exams organized in February, March and April. Exam was organized as a part of "Assessment and Measurement of Turkish Language Efficiency Project."

 

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer said, "We organized the exam in order to assess and measure four basic language skills namely reading, writing, listening and speaking of students from different grades. As a first step, we held various workshops participated by academicians and experts, we completed infrastructure deficiencies, isolated language labs from external effects and equipped them with high tech software and hardware systems. One of the fundamental goals of Turkish education is to provide efficiency to students in mother tongue skills. The Turkish language exam organized by the Ministry of National Education is important as it is based on four language skills namely reading, writing, listening and speaking."

 

Minister Özer stated that the exam is the first of its kind in terms of measuring mother tongue efficiency of students according to the international standards.

 

The pilot study of the exam was carried out among 7th grade students and then included 13,000 students from 4th, 7th and 11th grade.

 

The Ministry organized workshops with teachers, academicians and experts under the coordination of the Directorate of Measurement, Assessment and Examination Services for the assessment of exams that included multiple choice and open ended questions. 

 

Minister Özer stated that the Ministry completed the required procedures concerning international Q mark certification that will provide international validity of exam results. The Ministry works in cooperation with the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) for international accreditation.

 

"Our goal is to obtain the quality certificate for the exam and provide sustainability to the development of Turkish language with this exam which will be certificated that reveals conformity with globally recognized international standards," added Özer.