Erdem Aydemir
Division Coordinator
Istinye English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP)
In one academic year, ISTEP (Istinye English Proficiency Exam) is administered 4 times in September, January, June and August. Students who score over 70 in ISU Placement Test, which is held 2 days before İstinye University English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) are accepted to the first ISTEP in September. Students who score lower are not accepted to this first exam in October.
Only the students who have reached or successfully completed B2 level can take ISTEP in January, June and August. Before each exam, the list of students who are eligible to take the exam is announced.
Students who score 60 or above in ISTEP are considered to have successfully completed the English Preparatory Program. Students who score below 60 points cannot start their education in their departments. They are expected to enter the next ISTEP and succeed.
The English Proficiency Examination (ISTEP) consists of two components: Integrated Writing and Integrated Speaking.
The Integrated Writing section consists of one component.
Integrated Writing:
In the Integrated Writing section, students are first provided with an approximately one-page academic reading passage written at the B2 level of English proficiency. In addition to the reading passage, students are presented with a supporting visual, such as a table, graph, chart, or image, which enables them to relate the information in the text to an additional source of information.
Students are expected to integrate the information obtained from the reading passage with the data presented in the visual and respond to the given writing prompt. Rather than merely summarizing the text, candidates are expected to establish meaningful connections between the reading passage and the visual, analyze the information presented, and interpret it by incorporating their own evaluation and reflection.
The writing task must be completed in the form of a Response Paper. The paper should be approximately one page in length, consist of four paragraphs, and contain at least 300 words. During the assessment process, students are expected to demonstrate their ability to synthesize information, think critically, and apply effective academic writing skills by integrating information from both the reading passage and the accompanying visual.
The Speaking section consists of one component.
Integrated Speaking:
The Integrated Speaking section is conducted as a one-on-one performance assessment between the student and the examiner. During the first stage of the assessment, the examiner reads aloud an approximately one-page academic text at the B2 level of English proficiency, which takes about 3–4 minutes to complete. While listening, students are expected to use their listening skills effectively and take notes on the note-taking sheet provided.
After the listening task has been completed, students are presented with a supporting table, graph, chart, or image related to the content of the text. The examiner then asks a question that requires students to integrate the information from both the listening passage and the visual material in order to demonstrate their speaking ability.
Following the presentation of the question, students are given five minutes of preparation time. During this period, they are expected to organize their ideas using both their notes and the visual.
At the end of the preparation period, students are expected to respond orally to the given question within a maximum of two minutes. Throughout the assessment, students are expected to demonstrate their ability to integrate information from the listening passage and the visual, organize their ideas logically and coherently, and express them fluently and effectively in spoken English. This section is designed to assess students' integrated use of listening, note-taking, information synthesis, critical thinking, and academic speaking skills.
Examination Schedule
The Integrated Writing and Integrated Speaking components of the ISTEP are administered on separate days, with the Speaking examination taking place after the Writing examination.
The allocated time for each component is as follows:
Integrated Writing: 90 minutes
Integrated Speaking: 20 minutes
Assessment
Each component is scored out of 50 points and contributes equally to the overall examination score:
Integrated Writing: 50% & Integrated Speaking: 50%. The minimum passing score for the ISTEP is 60 out of 100.
Level Education Assessment Exams
Each level consists of a 14-week-long education program. During this 14-week-long period, our students are evaluated according to the following assessment system:
2 Content-Based Exams - 20%
2 Quarter Exams - 30%
Alternative Assessment - 50%
According to these assessment criteria, students who achieve an average score of 70 or above are eligible to take the Level Achievement Exam. Students who score below 70 cannot take the exam and are required to repeat the level.
Level Achievement Exam
The Level Achievement Exam is administered to all students at the same level at the same time. It is designed to measure the success of students who have completed the 14-week-long education program. Students who are eligible to take this exam and score 70 or above continue to the next level. Those who score below 70 are required to repeat the level.
The Level Achievement Test (LAT) is a performance-based assessment designed to evaluate students' presentation skills and determine whether they have successfully achieved the learning outcomes of their current proficiency level.
As part of the assessment, students are provided with five presentation tasks based on the course content covered throughout the semester. Students select one task and deliver an individual presentation of approximately 15 minutes. Performance is evaluated by the instructor using a standardized assessment rubric.
Other Exams Recognized and Accepted by Our University for Exemption
Students can submit an official TOEFL (either the TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition), IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, LanguageCert Academic, CPE (C2 Proficiency), CAE (C1 Advanced), Oxford Test of English / Advanced, Linguaskill General, and e-Tep score to be exempt from the Istinye English Proficiency Exam (ISTEP) and the English Preparatory Program. Students that successfully send their scores and are eligible for exemption will be announced on our website weekly. Please find the confirmation details of each exam below.
Students who certify that they graduated from a high school (local or international) where the medium of instruction is 100% English with their transcripts etc., are also exempt from the English Preparatory Program and do not need to submit an exam result. These students need to submit their certificates to the International Office during registration (Having taken English courses or the language of instruction being partially English does not qualify for an exemption.)
TOEFL
The minimum score for admission is 75 on Internet-based tests. Please note that official TOEFL scores must be ordered from ETS and sent to Istinye University Foreign Languages Department Undergraduate Organization (reporting code C821). Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
IELTS Academic
The minimum score for admission is 6.0. Please send your Test Report Form (TRF) number to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
PTE Academic
The minimum score for admission is 55. Please send your Score Report Code to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
LanguageCert Academic
The minimum score for admission is 60. Please send your Certificate number to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
CEA (C1 Advanced) and CPE (C2 Proficiency)
The minimum score for admission is C for CPE and B for CEA. Please send your score reports to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
Oxford Test of English / Advanced
The minimum score for admission is 110. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
Linguaskill General
The minimum score for admission is 150. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.
e-Tep
The minimum score for admission is 75. Please send your score report to foreignlanguages@istinye.edu.tr for confirmation. Unofficial score report copies (Test Taker Score Reports, pdf copies, emails, etc.) are not accepted.