19.06.2026 12:30
The YKS question booklets and exam documents, prepared in about a month in isolation from the world, have started to be shipped to 254 exam centers in 81 provinces and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. While 531 vehicles protected by time-controlled electromechanical locks set off under high security measures, approximately 650 thousand people will work during the exam process. ÖSYM President Bayram Ali Ersoy also urged candidates to check their exam locations in advance and be at the centers early on the exam day.
The shipment of question booklets and exam documents for the 2026 Higher Education Institutions Examination (2026-YKS), organized by the Measuring, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) Presidency, has begun under high security measures to 254 exam centers across 81 provinces and the TRNC.
A total of 531 transport vehicles, carrying the question booklets stored in QR-coded boxes and the exam documents secured by a time-locked electromechanical locking system, have departed from ÖSYM's closed printing facility.
The 2026-YKS, which will be held this weekend and has attracted 2,425,628 applicants, will take place this year at 254 exam centers in 81 provinces and the TRNC capital, Nicosia.
EXAM DOCUMENTS RECEIVED FROM A PRINTING FACILITY ISOLATED FROM THE WORLD
More than 100 ÖSYM personnel working on the printing, packaging, inspection, and shipment of the question booklets have been at the world-isolated closed printing facility for approximately 35 days.
Exam security at the closed center, where exam preparation processes are carried out, is ensured by special systems such as a Faraday cage and signal-jamming devices, as well as round-the-clock security forces on duty 7 days a week.
The personnel working at the closed printing facility will leave the center and reunite with their families upon the completion of the Foreign Language Test, the final session of the YKS.
The shipment of ÖSYM's YKS question booklets and exam documents to exam centers began with the loading of exam documents onto transport vehicles from the closed printing facility, which is completely isolated from the outside world. The transport vehicles will reach 254 exam centers under high security measures.
VEHICLE TRANSPORT WILL BE COORDINATED BY SECURITY FORCES
The transport of the vehicles to their storage locations at the exam centers will be carried out in coordination with police departments and gendarmerie commands.
The intercity transport vehicles, dispatched from this center under high security measures, were secured with a special time-locked electromechanical locking system. The opening time of the electromechanical lock was coded at the center, and key log records were kept.
After the exam, the question booklets and answer sheets will be placed in locked boxes and brought to the ÖSYM Exam Document Acceptance Center. The vehicles will be tracked via GPS using a special software-based vehicle tracking system throughout the process.
The routes taken by the transport vehicles, their stop-and-go and break processes, and their speeds will be recorded at all times at the ÖSYM Exam Coordination Center.
SECURITY FORCES WILL STAND GUARD BY THE VEHICLES
The exam transport vehicles will be protected with high sensitivity under the supervision of security forces at their holding points until they are dispatched for distribution on exam day.
Each vehicle arriving in different provinces will be in areas clearly visible from the ÖSYM Exam Coordination Center, thanks to a 360-degree camera system.
Additionally, security forces will stand guard by the vehicles.
On the morning of the exam, the electronic locks will be opened at predetermined times in front of ÖSYM cameras and under the supervision of security forces.
The exam documents stored in locked boxes will be handed over to intra-city transport vehicles for distribution to centers. Using the intra-city transport vehicles, the question booklets and answer sheets will be delivered to the exam buildings.
EXAM DOCUMENTS WILL BE RETURNED IN LOCKED BOXES
The exam documents will be opened in front of ÖSYM cameras and distributed to classrooms accompanied by the building supervisor and proctors. Exam proctors will also be admitted to the buildings under camera recording. Candidates will then begin entering the classrooms after undergoing security checks with metal detectors.
After the exam, the question booklets and answer sheets will be placed in locked boxes and will depart under high security measures to be brought to the ÖSYM Exam Document Acceptance Center.
"I ESPECIALLY ADVISE THEM NOT TO FORGET THEIR IDENTITY AND EXAM ENTRY DOCUMENTS"
ÖSYM President Prof. Dr. Bayram Ali Ersoy, speaking after the vehicle send-off, stated that they are nearing the end of the 2026-YKS process.
Noting that the question booklets and exam documents will be delivered to exam centers accompanied by police and gendarmerie personnel, Ersoy expressed his wish for the YKS to pass peacefully, healthily, and nicely for the candidates.
Offering some advice to the candidates, Ersoy recorded the following:
"I would like to say that we are preparing for an exam where they should have a good night's sleep, a good breakfast, and receive the full reward for their work and effort, free from stress on exam day. Therefore, I would like them to come to the exam environment in a way that makes them feel comfortable. However, I also want to say that before coming to the exam, I recommend they definitely check their exam centers and exam buildings. I especially request that they check the exam building for the TYT sessions, as well as the buildings for AYT and YDT. I particularly advise them not to forget their valid identification document and exam entry document when coming to the exam."
Ersoy stated that candidates need to arrive on time for the sessions they will attend, adding, "If possible, let them be around the exam building at least half an hour before the exam. In case of any mishap, they should have time to compensate for it. Because the distress a candidate feels from not taking the exam affects us even more, I am sure. We do not want any candidate to miss the exam in a way that they do not receive the reward for their effort."
APPROXIMATELY 650 THOUSIND PEOPLE WILL WORK
Ersoy stated that the YKS is one of the country's most important exams.
Emphasizing that approximately 650 thousand people will actively work on Saturday and Sunday, when the exam is held, Ersoy said, "Therefore, to ensure the exam comfort of our candidates is not disrupted, we request that no noise is made around the exam buildings, that shopkeepers in marketplaces operate quietly, and that vehicles like minibuses and cars do not honk their horns."
Because we want the candidates to receive the reward for their 1-2 years of effort,” he said.
Reminding that on Saturday at 06:00 the National Football Team will face Paraguay in the second match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ersoy said, “Hopefully our national team will win, but let us all experience the joy of this victory quietly. Let us not waste the efforts of our 2.5 million candidates. I wish everyone a successful exam and an exam where they will receive the reward for their efforts.” he spoke.
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