Following urgent safety decisions issued by the Istanbul Governorship in response to severe weather forecasts expected across the megacity, the Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) has officially postponed all centralized examinations scheduled to take place in Istanbul over the weekend of October 17 and October 18, 2026. The decision comes alongside a broader administrative directive from local authorities that halts face-to-face instruction, public training programs, and electronic examinations across the entire province to ensure public safety during the adverse weather event.
The preventive measures were enacted late Friday, October 16, as meteorological reports indicated that torrential rainfall and severe adverse weather conditions would affect transportation, public infrastructure, and travel safety throughout Istanbul. In response to these warnings, state educational authorities and national examination bodies coordinated to temporarily halt physical testing and classroom activities, prioritizing the well-being of thousands of candidates, students, instructors, and administrative staff who were scheduled to attend testing centers and educational facilities across both sides of the city.
ÖSYM Postpones Istanbul Central Examinations Following Governorship Directive
In an official public announcement released on the evening of October 16, ÖSYM confirmed that examinations scheduled for Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, within the province of Istanbul have been deferred. The national assessment body explicitly detailed the specific central examinations impacted by the postponement directive, outlining the geographic scope of the order and providing immediate clarity for registered test-takers.
According to the official statement issued by ÖSYM:
“In line with the decision taken by the Istanbul Governorship due to severe rainfall expected throughout Istanbul over the weekend, the Electronic Foreign Language Examination (e-YDS) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Plant Protection Products Dealer and Wholesaler Written Examination, which were scheduled to be administered by ÖSYM in Istanbul on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, have been postponed. The relevant examinations will be administered as planned in all examination centers outside Istanbul. Candidates scheduled to take the examinations in Istanbul will not suffer any loss of rights, and necessary information will be provided to the candidates.”
The announcement establishes a clear geographical distinction regarding the administration of national assessments during the affected weekend. While examinees assigned to test centers situated in any of Istanbul’s 39 districts will not sit for their tests on October 17 or 18, the national examination framework remains active across the rest of Turkey. Test centers located in all other 80 provinces will proceed with the examination schedule as originally published, operating under standard national testing protocols.
ÖSYM sought to reassure affected candidates that the severe weather postponement would not result in any administrative, academic, or legal disadvantages. Under the center’s established protocols for force majeure events, test-takers registered at Istanbul centers will retain their candidate status, registration entitlements, and evaluation rights. The agency emphasized that personalized updates regarding rescheduled testing dates, adjusted venue allocations, and updated examination entrance documents will be communicated directly to candidates through ÖSYM’s candidate transactions system (ÖYS) and official messaging channels.
Widespread Suspension of Face-to-Face Instruction and E-Exams
The scope of the weekend closures extends significantly beyond ÖSYM’s centralized standardized tests. In a concurrent administrative decision implemented by the Istanbul Governorship, a comprehensive suspension was declared for all local face-to-face educational programs, specialized training sessions, and district-level digital assessments operating under the umbrella of the Ministry of National Education during the October 17–18 weekend.
The Governorship’s decision explicitly impacts several key educational platforms and institutions operating across the province:
- Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM): All weekend enrichment classes, special education modules, and project sessions conducted at BİLSEM facilities across Istanbul have been suspended.
- Support and Training Courses (DYK): Face-to-face supplementary academic instruction provided to students preparing for national high school and university entrance examinations at public schools has been paused for both Saturday and Sunday.
- Public Education Centers (Halk Eğitim Merkezleri): All weekend lifelong learning classes, vocational training courses, adult literacy workshops, and personal development programs administered through neighborhood public education centers are cancelled.
- Electronic Examination Centers (E-sınav Merkezleri): All digital examinations scheduled to be conducted at specialized state e-exam facilities—including driver’s license tests and professional certification evaluations—have been put on hold.
By temporarily shutting down these facilities, provincial authorities aim to minimize non-essential travel across Istanbul’s vast urban network during the peak of the forecasted storm, reducing the strain on municipal emergency services and preventing transit disruptions for thousands of families and adult learners.
Understanding the Affected Examinations and Educational Programs
The postponements impact a diverse array of academic, professional, and civic educational institutions across Istanbul, each serving distinct roles within Turkey’s national education and licensing framework.
The Electronic Foreign Language Examination (e-YDS)
The Electronic Foreign Language Examination, widely known as e-YDS, is a high-stakes standardized computer-based language assessment administered by ÖSYM. Utilized primarily by academic personnel, postgraduate applicants, public servants seeking language bonuses, and professionals requiring official certification of foreign language proficiency, e-YDS is conducted in specialized high-capacity electronic testing centers. Because the exam is held in dedicated digital environments with strict identity verification and timing requirements, postponing the session in Istanbul requires complex rescheduling to ensure that local examinees are provided identical testing conditions without compromising national scoring equivalence.
Plant Protection Products Dealer and Wholesaler Written Examination
Administered on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, this professional certification exam is a regulatory prerequisite for individuals seeking to work as authorized dealers, wholesalers, or distributors of plant protection chemicals, agricultural pesticides, and related products across Turkey. Candidates undergoing this examination must demonstrate comprehensive technical knowledge regarding agricultural safety, chemical management, environmental protection, and relevant national legislation. The postponement in Istanbul ensures that candidates in the metropolitan area will have their licensing pathway preserved once safe testing conditions are restored.
Science and Art Centers (BİLSEM)
Science and Art Centers are specialized, independent public educational institutions operating under the Ministry of National Education. They offer tailored enrichment programs for primary and secondary school students who have been formally identified through national screening processes as possessing high intellectual, artistic, or musical abilities. BİLSEM activities heavily rely on weekend face-to-face laboratory work, project development, and interactive workshops, making their temporary suspension a necessary step during extreme weather events.
Support and Training Courses (DYK)
Support and Training Courses are free, state-funded academic reinforcement programs offered to students enrolled in public middle and high schools. Held largely on weekends, these courses provide targeted instruction in core subjects such as mathematics, science, literature, and social studies, assisting students in preparing for critical national selection tests like the High School Entrance System (LGS) and the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS). The suspension of these sessions for the weekend of October 17–18 ensures student safety while allowing schools to adjust instructional schedules once normal conditions resume.
Public Education Centers and E-Exam Venues
Public Education Centers represent the backbone of lifelong learning in Turkey, offering hundreds of different practical, vocational, and general culture modules to community members of all ages. Similarly, district E-sınav centers host continuous digital testing for essential civilian certifications, including motor vehicle driver candidate tests and open high school evaluations. The closure of these centers prevents large gatherings and transit movements across Istanbul’s major transit hubs during the period of high meteorological risk.
Logistical Considerations and Safeguarding Candidate Rights
Istanbul, a megacity straddling two continents with a population exceeding 15 million residents, presents unique urban transport and logistical challenges during severe weather events. Heavy rainfall, localized flooding, coastal gales, and maritime transit disruptions frequently complicate travel across the Bosphorus bridges and ferry lines. When adverse weather warnings are issued by regional meteorological services, public safety officials routinely evaluate the potential impacts on transit networks, emergency access routes, and public movement.
Holding major national and local examinations during severe weather can create significant disparities among test-takers. Disturbed public transit routes, severe road traffic delays, and hazardous travel conditions risk causing candidates to arrive late or miss their assigned examination windows entirely—a scenario that national assessment protocols strictly forbid under normal operating conditions, as late arrivals are routinely denied entry to test centers.
By issuing a proactive postponement order in alignment with the Istanbul Governorship’s weather assessment, ÖSYM and local educational administrators eliminated the risk of candidates being forced to navigate unsafe travel conditions or face disqualification due to weather-induced transit delays.
The institutional guarantee of "hak kaybı olmaması" (no loss of rights) ensures that all registered examinees in Istanbul will remain fully eligible to complete their assessments during rescheduled sessions. ÖSYM is expected to announce the updated examination calendar for the postponed e-YDS and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry examinations following a re-evaluation of regional weather patterns and administrative availability. Candidates are advised to monitor official communications from ÖSYM and the Istanbul Governorship for further updates regarding rescheduled dates and revised operational arrangements.
