The YKS has four main score types: Quantitative (SAY), Equal-Weight (EA), Verbal (SÖZ) and Language (DİL). Which track you should study for is determined by your target program — not the other way around. This guide covers what each one includes and how to choose.
Four Tracks and What They Cover
| Score Type | AYT Tests Taken | Example Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative (SAY) | AYT Math + Science | Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, all engineering fields, architecture, veterinary medicine |
| Equal-Weight (EA) | AYT Math + Turkish Language & Literature-Social Studies-1 | Law, psychology, business, economics, primary school teaching |
| Verbal (SÖZ) | AYT Turkish Language & Literature-Social-1 + Social-2 | History, geography, Turkish language and literature, law (in some years), journalism, sociology |
| Language (DİL) | Foreign Language Exam session | Translation and interpreting, English teaching, language and literature programs |
TYT net scores are factored into every score type — TYT is common to all candidates.
When and How Should You Choose a Track?
Your high-school academic track is set at the end of 9th grade, but you can still change which YKS score type you're preparing for right up until you sit the exam. In practice, three things decide it:
- Your target program. Decide the program first — the score type follows automatically. Thinking "Quantitative is more prestigious" is the single most common mistake.
- Your current net scores. If you're strong in math but struggle with science, Equal-Weight might be a more realistic path than Quantitative.
- Sustainability. Studying a subject you genuinely dislike for two years might seem doable short-term, but it tends to lead to burnout over a long prep period.
Why Equal-Weight Isn't "the Easy Middle Ground"
Equal-Weight is often seen as "the choice for people who can't do either quantitative or verbal well." That's a misconception: math carries significant weight in EA, and the cutoff rankings for popular EA programs like law and psychology are highly competitive.
Equal-Weight's real advantage is that it spreads the load — you focus on two AYT tests instead of four. That doesn't mean you'll be studying less, though.
Can You Prepare for More Than One Track at Once?
Technically possible, but inefficient in practice. Preparing for both SAY and EA simultaneously, for instance, means covering two separate test blocks (Science + Turkish-Social) beyond the shared AYT Math. That splits your limited time and tends to produce average results in both.
The one exception: if you haven't decided yet early on, loading up on the shared material (TYT + AYT Math) and pushing the final decision to the end of 11th grade is a reasonable strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — you choose which sessions to sit for when you apply for the YKS, and you can pick a score type independent of your high-school track. Making that change late, though, is risky since it shortens your prep time.
Law faculties have taken students under either EA or SÖZ depending on the year. Confirm the current score type in that year’s official ÖSYM guide before choosing.
Yes. TYT is a shared session for every candidate, and its net score factors into the calculation for every score type.
Related Posts
- YKS Score Calculation: Raw Score, OBP and Placement Score
- Cutoff Score or Success Rank? What to Actually Look At
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