Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) Placement Results

Measurement and evaluation is one of the important principles of education and an important part of teaching. It is a multifaceted process for the collection and interpretation of data related to education.

The purpose of measurement and evaluation is to determine the extent to which students have achieved the achievements-objectives (knowledge, skills and attitudes) of education and to make healthy decisions about placing students in fields of science and tendency-orientation in accordance with their interests, abilities and preferences.

ÖSYM President Prof. Dr. Bayram Ali Ersoy stated that a record was broken in terms of the number of candidates who applied to the 2023-YKS and that more than 3 million 500 thousand candidates applied for the exam and said, "There is no question cancellation and answer option change in terms of the questions asked in the exam. Therefore, a clean YKS process has been completed."

Does the fact that the YKS questions are clean, i.e. error-free, lead to a clean result? Are the results valid, reliable and in line with Turkey's educational planning, process, conditions and needs? To what extent do students' financial conditions play a role in their preferences? Were students placed in programmes suitable for their interests and abilities, or did unconscious preferences play a role? I cannot give the answers to these questions, but I can share my views on this issue.

On the other hand, the economic crisis and difficulties in making a living continue to increase in our country. When we add the earthquake disaster on top of it, the need for subsistence and shelter significantly affects the university and department preferences of our young people. Investigating and analysing this issue will shed light on the solution of some educational problems.

Some Quotas Remained Empty

2023 YKS placement results have been announced. ÖSYM also shared numerical information about the results of preference and placement. Quotas remained empty in many of the departments that required success in the exam. A significant part of these gaps took place in the paid departments of foundation universities.

ÖSYM announced that 99.8% of the general quota in higher education programmes was filled and 24.88% of the candidates were placed in their first choice. In undergraduate programmes, 481,033 candidates were placed to 501,607 quota. In associate degree programmes, 416,991 candidates were placed for 421,804 places. Thus, 889,024 of the total 923,411 quotas were filled.

The occupancy rate in open education programmes reached 100 percent. The 288,696 people who settled in the university consisted of those who had previously settled, completed a higher education programme or cancelled their registration. In total, the number of vacant quotas was 25,387,000. Of these, 20,574 were 4-year undergraduate programmes and the rest were 2-year associate degree programmes. The number of vacancies was 17 thousand last year. In foundation universities, 95.3 per cent were filled. This rate was close to 98 per cent last year.

Especially in engineering departments, as in recent years, there have been quite a lot of vacant departments. However, the architecture department, which is also in decline, was among the less preferred or not preferred departments. Even in the faculty of medicine, the number of vacant quotas exceeded 700, exceeding last year. In architecture and civil engineering, the number of vacancies exceeded a thousand, as it has always been in recent years.

It can be said that the high number of vacancies points to an education supply whose educational planning and investments fail to respond to the changing needs of Turkey and the market. In addition, the vacancies may be a result of economic reasons and the life difficulties and uncertainties caused by the earthquake.

81 Programmes No One Preferred

Exactly 81 programmes were not preferred by anyone and the number of people placed in these programmes was zero. Engineering programmes attracted the most attention in this regard. For example, 17 programmes in civil engineering were not preferred by anyone. In medicine, dentistry and law, 4 programmes each were not preferred by anyone. In software engineering, one of the most popular professions of recent years, the number of programmes not preferred was 3.

In this case, it would not be wrong to say that some professions have lost their importance in the Turkish market and economic conditions, and that the job anxieties of our young people are increasing and their hopes and expectations for the future are decreasing.

381 Point Difference in the Same Programme

Again, the score differences between the same departments attracted attention as last year. In some departments, there were quite high score differences. Even in medicine, where there is a requirement for rank order, there was a difference of about 100 points. The highest scoring student entered Hacettepe University (English) Faculty of Medicine with 559 points. The lowest score in medicine was 455.7. A similar situation emerged in psychology, one of the most preferred departments. The person who entered the Psychology Department of Boğaziçi University in the top rank scored 547 points. The candidate who entered Istanbul Rumeli University Psychology Department from the last row scored 166 points. The score difference between them was 381 points. In molecular biology and genetics, there was a 375-point difference between the last ranked applicant and the first ranked applicant. The candidate who entered Koç University in the first place received 556 points, while the candidate who entered International Cyprus University in the last place received 181 points.

What is the reason or meaning of these high score differences within the same departments or departments?

This question can be answered tentatively, but not definitively. These answers may be the following:

The number of quotas has been determined incorrectly due to an unplanned understanding of education and primarily to make money.

Those with more money and fewer points and those with less money and more points were evaluated in the same department and with the same ability.

When making a choice between universities, the quality and recognition of the education there is prioritised. In this context, there are huge differences between universities.

268 Point Difference Rank Friendship 

In addition, the difference between the people who won the same university attracted attention. The candidate who entered Acıbadem University Psychology Department in the first place scored 474 points. The candidate who entered in the last place scored 188 points. The difference was 286 points. A similar situation occurred in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Kadir Has University. The department was entered with 474 points from the first row and 206 points from the last row. The difference was 268 points. The biggest difference in the ranking was in Necmettin Erbakan University Textile Technology Department. The candidate who entered the department from the last row was 2 million 58 thousandth, and the candidate who entered from the first row was 68 thousand 732nd. The rank difference between the two candidates was exactly 1 million 990,551.

In other words, especially private universities accept most of the students as an economic gain regardless of their knowledge, skills and abilities.

Conclusion

What can be concluded according to the general data of YKS? If you wish, you can choose among these conclusions or add new ones.

Universities' educational planning and investments do not fully reflect Turkey's political, economic, social and technological conditions and market needs.

Students experience uncertainty about the future and this situation affects their preferences.

Market preferences have rendered some professions unimportant while others have become prominent.

In foundation universities, monetary values determine and direct preferences rather than knowledge, skills, interests and abilities.

The difference in quality and recognition among universities is quite high.

Economic difficulties and the destruction caused by the earthquake and vital difficulties affect the campus, university and department preferences of our young people and their ability to go to school.

Recommendations

Turkey's manpower needs should be determined in detail within the scope of development plans. The whole education system should be reorganised and arranged in accordance with these plans. Departments and quotas appropriate to the need should be re-determined.

In 2011, the State Planning Organisation, which was reorganised as the Ministry of Development, should be re-established in accordance with its former function. In this way, education planning can be included in the 5-year development plans and can be formed rationally and realistically.

An education system development model that will minimise the differences in quality and recognition among universities should be established. This suggestion will be discussed in a separate article.

Starting from primary school, the interests and abilities of each individual should be identified and, if necessary, they should be directed to vocational training. For this reason, the number of vocational schools should be increased in accordance with the needs of the country. Since some professions do not require university education, the student load of universities will decrease and will contribute to their becoming more qualified and fit for purpose.

Preference and accommodation problems arising from the economic situation and the earthquake should not be an obstacle for our young people. Providing adequate support in this regard is a requirement of the principle of equality of opportunity and opportunity in education.