International Students Division

Upon completing your registration, the International/Registration Office issues a Registration Completion Document to your student (ISU) or personal email address. Your exact assigned exam date is explicitly stated on that document.

Action Required: If you have not received your Registration Completion Document, please contact the Registration Office immediately. Always check the official website regularly for specific schedules, classroom assignments, and room changes.

Students are strictly expected to take the exam on their assigned date. If an official emergency prevents you from attending campus, you must email foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr promptly to provide a valid justification and request a seat in an alternate session. All examinations are advised to be completed prior to the launch of the Preparatory Program semester.

The ISTEP-IS is structured as a comprehensive two-stage evaluation designed to measure academic literacy: 

Stage 1: Online Placement (CEPT)
 You will take the online Cambridge English Placement Test (CEPT), covering Reading, Listening, Grammar, and Vocabulary. A minimum score of 35 out of 50 is required to clear this stage and qualify for Stage 2. 

Stage 2: Writing & Speaking Assessments 
Eligible students proceed to the productive skills evaluations: 
 • Writing Test (25 Points): An opinion essay of at least four paragraphs is required. Grading evaluates content, organization, lexical resource, and grammatical resource. 
 • Speaking Test (25 Points): A recorded paired student interview featuring spontaneous dialogues and monologues from casual to academic themes is conducted. Grading evaluates discourse management, phonology, interaction, lexical resource, and grammatical resource. 

Passing Threshold: A combined score of 70 out of 100 across all criteria establishes B2 proficiency, granting immediate exemption from the Preparatory School. Students who fail to obtain 70 are placed into an appropriate prep class based on their levels determined in CEPT.

To familiarize yourself with the structure of the online Cambridge English Placement Test, you can access an official demonstration tool directly via the following web link:

https://www.metritests.com/metricatestdelivery/Assessment/Assignment?test=CEPT_Demo 

For the Writing and Speaking tests, you can check the following samples:

1. Writing Sample
2. Speaking Sample

All formal grades and status announcements are published directly on the Foreign Languages Department notification board:

 https://foreignlanguages.istinye.edu.tr/announcements

Students who fall short of the required B2 threshold will automatically be enrolled into the English Preparatory Program. These students cannot retake ISTEP-IS exam and will follow the exam calendar of the Preparatory School once they start their education.

Attending your designated session is imperative. If a critical emergency causes a breakdown in scheduling, you should email foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr only when you are fully present and ready to sit for the test to request placement in an upcoming slot (if available). Always provide your official student number.

Yes, official standardized scores can be submitted for exemption from the program. The verified minimum requirements are presented below:

* Official TOEFL scores must be electronically transmitted via ETS directly to our database using the institutional designation code: C821.

** This matrix reflects the score alignment protocol active prior to January 21, 2026.

High School Exemption: Students who completed their high school diploma at an institution (located in Türkiye or abroad) where the singular, official medium of instruction was 100% English are fully exempt. Validating transcripts or authenticated ministerial letters must be filed.

The Foreign Languages Department evaluates outside test documents throughout the semester. However, you must directly cross-reference with your faculty registrar to ensure they permit your start right away.

Data processing through ETS securely takes roughly 5 to 7 business days to reach our department. Check your student status on OIS regularly; your document is officially approved once your tracking label switches from PREP to 1.

No. Level tracks are locked metrics based on standardized testing data. Subjective observations, individual self-assessments, or peer comparisons are not valid bases for modification.