By Justin Mays:
TOMER stands for Turkce Ogretim Merkezi meaning Education Center. This exam measures the Turkish language skills of applicants interested in studying at Turkish universities. TOMER is affiliated with Ankara University and is supposed to be similar to linguistic centers like British Council. Currently, it has 11 branches spread across 7 major cities in Turkey and is enrolled by approx 55,000 students per year. The main objective of the TOMER Center was to teach Turkish to non-native speakers. The exam aims to evaluate the Turkish language for applicants like the IELTS and TOEFL exams for English. Anyone willing to work or study in Turkey or become a Turkish citizen has to clear the TOMER exam.
What is the TOMER test?
This exam is one of the most famous and is one of the prerequisites for entering universities in Turkey, especially universities in which the instructional language is Turkish. It is run by Ankara University and is held weekly and the registration fee for this test is 100 euros. The minimum college entry TOMER score is 60. When you take the test, you must answer at least 100 out of 240 questions and the results are announced within 3 to 15 days after the test.
As discussed, the purpose of holding this Turkish language test is to assess the Turkish skills of the applicant willing to study in Turkish universities or immigrate to the country. Turkish public institutions and universities in different cities hold this test from basic to advanced level.
The applicant can only enter the next level by passing the exam and by participating in 800 hours of class in 4 levels, they become eligible for a degree. Upper-intermediate and Diploma levels certificates are required for entering university for the jobs. The elementary and intermediate level certificates come in handy for everyday conversation.
TOMER Certificate (Sertifika)
TOMER tests are valid for 6 months to 2 years and are held at two levels. These two levels are the introductory levels (valid for 6 months), and the applicants must pass at least a B2 degree to obtain a preliminary certificate. In this way, the TOMER certificate will be valid for two years. To receive an intermediate certificate, the applicant must be able to have a B1 degree.
The test is held at both beginner and intermediate levels and the validity of this degree is between 6 months (beginner certificate) to 2 years (intermediate level). A minimum score of B1 is a must to get to the intermediate level. The applicant must re-apply to renew the validity of the certificate when it's about to expire.
What documents do you need to register for the TOMER exam?
To register for the TOMER test, you must prepare the following documents:
Two personal photos
Passport
In case you don't have a passport, translate the ID card into Turkish
Payment of the test fee
The necessary documents and personal details have to be submitted during registration and the required attachments must be signed.
What is the cost of the TOMER exam?
The cost of the TOMER test can depend on the regulator. If the applicant wishes to receive a diploma, they must pay about 3000 TL and about 2000 TL to get the certificate.
The tuition fee for these classes ranges from approx. 750 to 3600 TL depending on the total class hours per day for each semester. The total TOMER classes will cost between 14,000-20,000 TL.
The cost of the TOMER exam varies from center to center but generally, the cost ranges between 250 and 350 dollars for one level. This can be paid in two installments.
What are the levels of the TOMER exam in Turkey?
The TOMER exam has 6 levels from A1 to C1:
Level A1: Here they measure the student’s ability to answer simple questions with very simple answers. The minimum score is 50.
A2: Basic language knowledge is evaluated here and the score level range from 50 to 59.
Level B1: By now a person is expected to have a moderate knowledge of the Turkish language, enough to do his personal work or communicate in unusual and unexpected circumstances. The scores must be between 60 and 65.
B2: At this level, the candidate must have a good and reasonable knowledge of the Turkish language to face extreme situations. The score here needs to be between 66 and 70.
C1 level: By now the candidate must have a very good knowledge of the Turkish language so they can manage unexpected. You need to score between 71 and 100 here.
C2 level: This level is the highest in the Turkish language where a person knows Turkish just like his mother tongue.
Note: Applicants with a score of less than 50 will not obtain a TOMER certificate.
With the most basic and simple questions, A1 is the most basic test. At A2, you can talk about yourself. B1 and B2 require you to handle different everyday situations. The highest level, C1 is the hardest because it expects you to have a great command of Turkish. At C1 you can study medicine and pharmacy at Turkish universities.
What are the TOMER test time and details in Turkey?
The exam is held every day from 9:00 to 16:00 hrs (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
A placement test is conducted before one could register for the exam.
The registration office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. on weekends.
The test result is valid for 4 months
If required, the teacher can change the course level with the approval of the authority.
The payment is made in Turkish lira.
What is the best Turkish international exam?
Turkish Proficiency Exam (TPE), developed by Yunus Emre Institute has been certified (Q-Mark) by the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). It's the first and only language test in Turkey that has international validity.
The YOS (Foreign Students Examination) is the entrance exam taken by foreign students at Turkish universities. It enables students to study subjects such as Psychology, Pharmacy, Mechanical, Medicine, Law, Engineering, Architecture, and others in Turkey.
Who should take the Turkish TOMER test?
Anyone seeking to work in the Turkish language, doing a university education in Turkey, or applying to any scholarship program in Turkey or for business reasons has to certify their Turkish can participate in the Turkish Proficiency Exam. TOMER has to be taken by every bachelor’s and master’s degree candidate who intends to study at Turkish universities in Turkish. At the bachelor’s level, universities apply this exam mostly after registration, and the student starts from the first year. At the master’s level, the TOMER certificate is to be attached while applying.
TOMER test- the first step to immigrating to Turkey
The purpose of taking the TOMER test is to assess one's skill level in the Turkish language. Not just students but even foreigners who wish to apply for Turkish citizenship must know the language to qualify for a Turkish passport. A foreigner needs to have a sufficient level of spoken Turkish for living. Their knowledge of the Turkish language is checked in the TOMER exam after the application is submitted. A referral to the exam is issued upon application. The exam tests your speaking, reading, and writing in Turkish.
Your Turkish citizenship application is submitted to the qualified authorities (Nufus Mudurlugu). The list of required documents includes the Turkish language exam result. When all the documents are collected and submitted and all the stages have been cleared, you will be asked to wait for the appointment of a special commission. At the commission, you will have a conversation in Turkish and after that, your documents will be sent to Ankara for consideration.
Also, when you’re planning to a country, knowing the local language will be useful every day in everything you do whether you’re doing simple shopping, chatting with your neighbors, or at official work.
You might also be interested in reading about the Foreign Student Exam (YOS)
