Directives

This is an annex to the decision of our University Senate dated 18.09.2025 and numbered 2025/22.
Revision-Amendment-Approval: Board of Trustees Decision dated 24.09.2025 and numbered 2025/06.

Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University

Republic of Türkiye

ISTANBUL SABAHATTIN ZAIM UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PREPARATORY CLASS EDUCATION-INSTRUCTION AND EXAMINATION DIRECTIVE
 

PART ONE
Introductory Provisions

Purpose
ARTICLE 1- (1) The purpose of this Directive is to regulate the procedures and principles regarding the foreign language education and examinations conducted in the Foreign Language Preparatory Programs of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, in order to provide students receiving instruction in a foreign language with listening comprehension, speaking, reading comprehension, and writing skills at a level sufficient to carry out academic activities in that foreign language.

Scope
ARTICLE 2- (1) This Directive covers the basic provisions regarding the standards, scope, level, in-class and out-of-class studies, class attendance, exams, success requirements, and exemption matters of the mandatory or optional foreign language preparatory education conducted at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University.

Legal Basis
ARTICLE 3- (1) This Directive has been prepared based on Articles 14 and 49 of Higher Education Law No. 2547, Article 3 of Law No. 2923 dated 14/10/1983 on "Foreign Language Education and Instruction and the Learning of Different Languages and Dialects by Turkish Citizens," and the "Regulation on the Principles to be Followed in Foreign Language Teaching and Instruction in a Foreign Language at Higher Education Institutions" published in the Official Gazette dated 04/12/2008 and numbered 27074.

Definitions
ARTICLE 4- (1) In this Directive;

a) CAE: Refers to the Certificate in Advanced English,
b) CEFR: Refers to the Common European Framework,
c) CPE: Refers to the Certificate of Proficiency in English,
ç) Advisor: Refers to the faculty member assigned by the unit coordinator to each student in the Preparatory Unit,
d) Preparatory Unit Coordinator: Refers to the coordinator responsible for the relevant foreign language preparatory program,
e) Module: Refers to the A1–C2 language levels taught,
f) Board of Trustees: The Board of Trustees of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University,
g) Measurement-Evaluation and Material Production Commission: Refers to the commission responsible for preparing the exams administered within the relevant foreign language preparatory unit and for producing and developing materials to be used in educational activities,
ğ) Rector: The Rector of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University,
h) Senate: refers to the Senate of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University,
ı) TOEFL: Refers to the Test of English as a Foreign Language,
i) University: Refers to Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University,
j) Foreign Languages Coordinator: Refers to the Foreign Languages Coordinator of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University,

shall have the meanings set out above.

PART TWO
Structure, Operation and Duties of the Foreign Languages Coordinatorship

Foreign Languages Coordinator and Duties
ARTICLE 5- (1) The establishment of foreign language preparatory classes and foreign language education activities for departments/programs that provide education wholly or partly in a foreign language at the University are carried out by the Foreign Languages Coordinatorship, affiliated with the Rectorate. The Rector appoints a faculty member as the Foreign Languages Coordinator. The duties of the Foreign Languages Coordinator are as follows;
a) Preparing the education plans of the preparatory programs,
b) Supervising the educational activities of the preparatory programs,
c) Determining the unit coordinators of the preparatory programs and proposing them to the Rectorate,
ç) Preparing draft academic calendars for the preparatory programs and submitting them to the Rectorate,
d) Ensuring cooperation among Preparatory Unit Coordinators so that preparatory programs in different languages are conducted in parallel and in an integrated manner,

Preparatory Unit Coordinator
ARTICLE 6- (1) The Rector, taking the opinion of the Foreign Languages Coordinator, appoints a Preparatory Unit Coordinator for each foreign language. The Preparatory Unit Coordinator is responsible for determining the faculty members to serve in the relevant foreign language preparatory program, preparing the teaching plan, forming the classes, ensuring coordination among the faculty members in the unit, and preparing and evaluating course materials and exam questions.

Measurement-Evaluation and Development Commission
ARTICLE 7- (1) Each Preparatory Unit, with the approval of the Foreign Languages Coordinator, appoints at least three faculty members for the Preparatory program for which it is responsible, one of whom, the Unit Coordinator, serves as Chair.

(2) The duties of the Commission are;
a) In cooperation with the unit coordinator and faculty members, being responsible for determining and monitoring course content and delivery, and exam content and administration. Also, implementing any necessary changes within a cycle aimed at ensuring continuous improvement.
b) Creating additional study materials for students in addition to the main course resources, and/or identifying computer/mobile phone applications for this purpose and sharing them with the unit's faculty members. Providing in-service training on the effective use of these applications when necessary.

PART THREE
Registration-Admission, Exemption and Language Proficiency

Enrolment
ARTICLE 8- (1) Students placed in undergraduate programs with a mandatory foreign language preparatory class are first registered in the relevant foreign language preparatory program.
(2) Students placed in undergraduate programs that do not have a mandatory foreign language preparatory class may, upon request, receive one year of optional foreign language preparatory education by decision of the relevant faculty executive board.
(3) Students wishing to receive optional foreign language preparatory education must apply to the relevant faculty secretariat with an "Optional Preparatory Education Petition" within five working days at the latest from the date of registration at the University. Intermediate or final-year students may not apply for optional preparatory education.

Advising
ARTICLE 9- (1) A faculty member is appointed as advisor by the relevant Preparatory Unit Coordinator to each student enrolled in the foreign language preparatory program, in order to monitor the student's academic status and provide the student with guidance on academic matters.

Exemption conditions, application procedures and principles
(Amended: Senate decision dated 18.09.2025 and numbered 2025/22)
ARTICLE 10- (1) Students registering for the first time in undergraduate programs of the University that have a mandatory foreign language preparatory class are exempted from the mandatory foreign language preparatory class and proceed directly to the undergraduate program in which they are enrolled, if they pass the foreign language proficiency exam held on the date announced in the academic calendar.
(2) Students who obtain a score equivalent to level B2 in national or international exams that measure the four language skills and are accepted as equivalent by ÖSYM must submit the originals of these documents to the Foreign Languages Coordinatorship within the period specified in the academic calendar. The suitability of the relevant success certificate/document for exemption is determined by decision of the Unit Coordinatorship.
(3) Those who have studied for at least the last three years in secondary education institutions attended by citizens of a country where the foreign language designated as the language of instruction is spoken as the native language, and who have completed their secondary education in these institutions, are exempted from the relevant mandatory foreign language preparatory class and proceed to the undergraduate program in which they are enrolled.
(4) The suitability for exemption of a success certificate/document obtained from the "Foreign Language Preparatory Class" of another higher education institution is determined by decision of the Unit Coordinatorship.
(5) A student whose document is deemed suitable is exempted from the mandatory language preparatory class and proceeds directly to the undergraduate program in which they are enrolled.
(6) A student whose document is not deemed suitable is given the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam and placed in the appropriate module according to the exam result.
(7) The validity period of the national/international exams accepted for exemption from the mandatory foreign language preparatory class at the University, as well as the language proficiency exams conducted by the University, is two years.
(8) The Foreign Language Exam is conducted in two stages: the "Foreign Language Level Placement Exam" and the "Foreign Language Proficiency Exam."

Foreign Language Level Placement Exam
ARTICLE 11- (1) The foreign language levels of newly enrolled students are determined by the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam administered by the Preparatory Unit Coordinator at the beginning of the academic year in which they register at the University.
(2) Students whose level in the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam is B2 or above become eligible to take the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam.
(3) The module in which students will be placed in the foreign language preparatory program is determined by the Preparatory Unit Coordinator based on the results of the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam.
(4) Students who do not take the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam are deemed to have agreed to begin foreign language preparatory education at the A1 (beginner) level.
(5) No make-up exam is given for students who do not take the Foreign Language Level Placement Exam.

Foreign Language Proficiency Exam
ARTICLE 12- (1) The Foreign Language Proficiency Exam measures the four language skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking); it evaluates students' language skills and proficiency in terms of listening comprehension, vocabulary and grammar, reading comprehension, written expression, and oral expression.
(2) Students who score at least 70 out of 100 on the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam are exempted from the mandatory foreign language preparatory class and become eligible to begin the undergraduate program to which they were admitted.
(3) The dates of the Foreign Language Proficiency Exam are determined in the academic calendar and announced in advance.
(4) The Foreign Language Proficiency Exams are subject to a fee. The exam fee is determined at the beginning of each academic year by decision of the University Executive Board, upon the recommendation of the Foreign Languages Coordinatorship, and is announced by the Coordinatorship.
(5) A student who enrolls at the University is entitled to take the Language Proficiency Exam free of charge once per academic year.

PART FOUR
Education Programs, Durations and Class Attendance

Education periods and class attendance
ARTICLE 13- (1) In the foreign language preparatory program, a modular system consisting of four different levels, compliant with the Common European Framework, is applied: A1-Beginner, A2-Elementary, B1-(Intermediate), and B2-Upper Intermediate.
(2) The foreign language preparatory program is implemented as four modules per academic year, according to the academic calendar determined by the Senate. Each module is conducted for eight weeks by the relevant language's unit coordinatorship. The Foreign Languages Coordinatorship determines the weekly course hours for each language.
(3) For students who do not wish to be in irregular student status, the C1-Advanced and C2-Academic modules may also optionally be opened during the academic semester.
(4) The normal study period for the mandatory foreign language preparatory class is one year, and the maximum study period is two years. The maximum study period for the optional foreign language preparatory class is one year.
(5) Time spent in foreign language preparatory programs is not included in the study period of the undergraduate program.

Mandatory class attendance
ARTICLE 14- (1) Attendance at classes and participation in all types of course activities (assignments, projects, etc.) is mandatory in the foreign language preparatory class.
(2) There is a mandatory class attendance requirement of 85% in each module. Absences based on medical reports from health institutions or other official documents accepted by the University are evaluated within the 15% excused absence allowance.
(3) A student who, whether excused and/or unexcused, does not attend or is unable to attend more than 15% of classes in any module is deemed "absent," fails the module, and must repeat it.

FIFTH SECTION
Preparatory Class Exams and Success Evaluation

Exam types
ARTICLE 15- (1) Quizzes are given during the academic year to monitor and measure the development of the student's language skills, and a "Module Final Exam" is administered to fulfill the requirement for progressing to the next module and to determine module proficiency.

Quizzes
ARTICLE 16- (1) Quizzes are given in each module in a number determined by the relevant language's unit coordinatorship. (2) The schedule of quizzes is announced by the relevant language's unit coordinatorship at the beginning of each module.
(3) No make-up and/or excused exam is given for a student who is unable to take a quiz.

End-of-Module Examination
ARTICLE 17- (1) The Module Final Exam is administered once for each module, on dates announced in advance in the academic calendar.
(2) Module Final Exams consist of sections on listening comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, reading comprehension, and written and/or oral expression.

Success and evaluation
ARTICLE 18- (1) Success for progression between modules is measured through evaluations that include the result of the Module Final Exam conducted at the end of each module.
a) The success grade required for progression between modules is at least 70 out of 100; students who do not meet this requirement must repeat the relevant module.
b) In order for the success grade to be calculated, the student must score at least 70/100 on the Module Final Exam; otherwise, the student repeats the module.
c) The success grade is calculated by adding 50% of the Module Final Exam, 30% of the average of the Quizzes, and 20% of the average grade of assignments and portfolio work.
(2) Students who successfully complete the B2 module become eligible to take the proficiency exam.
a) Students who score at least 70 out of 100 on the proficiency exam are considered successful and become eligible to continue in the undergraduate program in which they are enrolled. Those who do not achieve this score must retake the proficiency exam.
b) Students who successfully complete the B2 module may take the proficiency exams held within the two-year maximum preparatory period.
(3) A student who scores at least 80 out of 100 on the proficiency exam is entitled to receive a C1-Advanced certificate.

Administration of Exams
ARTICLE 19- (1) The Measurement-Evaluation and Material Production Commission established within each preparatory program is responsible for the preparation and administration of all exams.

Failure to succeed
ARTICLE 20- (1) Students who fail to meet the success requirement at the end of an academic year in the mandatory foreign language preparatory program of programs offering education wholly or partly in a foreign language are granted the right to receive foreign language preparatory education for at most one additional academic year. The maximum duration of mandatory foreign language preparatory education is two years.
(2) Students enrolled in undergraduate programs whose language of instruction is Turkish and who are attending the optional foreign language preparatory program continue in the undergraduate programs in which they are enrolled in the following academic year, even if they fail to meet the success requirement.
(3) Students who fail the mandatory foreign language preparatory program within two years have their enrollment in the program terminated. These students;
a) May apply, with a wet-signed petition to the relevant Faculty Secretariat, to transfer to an equivalent program at the University whose language of instruction is Turkish.
b) May apply, within the scope of the Central Placement Score (Additional Article 1), to transfer to a different program at the University whose language of instruction is Turkish, or for which the student can document the relevant language proficiency.
c) If there is no equivalent program at the University, upon application, they may be placed by ÖSYM, on a one-time basis, in a program whose language of instruction is Turkish, using their central placement score, provided that their entrance score as of the year of registration is equal to or higher than the minimum score of the program in which they will be placed.
(4) International students who fail the mandatory foreign language preparatory program within two years have their enrollment in the program terminated. These students may not benefit from the transfer rights specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of the third article.

Excused absence from examinations, announcement of examination results and appeals against results
ARTICLE 21– (1) Students who are unable to take the Module Final Exam for justified and valid reasons must notify the Foreign Languages Coordinatorship of their excuse in writing within five days following the exam date. Those whose excuses are accepted by their advisor and the Preparatory Unit Coordinator are given a make-up exam within three working days from the date of acceptance.
(2) Make-up exam results are submitted to the Preparatory Unit Coordinator within three days of the exam date.
(3) Students may, upon request, individually review their exam papers after the exam under the supervision of the relevant course's faculty member.
(4) Students may object to exam results on grounds of a material error by submitting a petition to the Preparatory Program Unit Coordinatorship within two working days of the announcement of the exam results.
(5) Upon objection, the exam paper is reviewed within five days at the latest by an evaluation commission consisting of at least two faculty members appointed by the Preparatory Unit Coordinator, independently of the faculty member(s) who administered the exam, and the result is reported in writing to the Preparatory Program Unit Coordinatorship. The Preparatory Unit Coordinatorship notifies the student of the result in writing within two working days at the latest.
(6) The student does not have the right to a second objection.

Retention of exam papers
ARTICLE 22- (1) Quiz papers are retained by the course's faculty member until the end of the relevant academic year and destroyed at the beginning of the following academic year.
(2) Module Final Exam papers are retained by the Preparatory Unit Coordinatorship for two years and are destroyed by the Exam Commission at the end of the two years.

SECTION SIX
Miscellaneous and Final Provisions

Summer Instruction
ARTICLE 23- (1) Foreign language preparatory summer instruction is conducted as one module.
(2) Summer instruction is separate from the annual tuition fee and is subject to an additional fee.
(3) The summer instruction fee is determined by the Board of Trustees.

Discipline
ARTICLE 24- (1) The provisions of the "Higher Education Institutions Student Disciplinary Regulation," published in the Official Gazette dated 18/8/2012 and numbered 28388, apply to the disciplinary matters and procedures of students in the foreign language preparatory program.

Cases not covered by provisions
ARTICLE 25- (1) In cases not covered by this Directive, Article 3 of Law No. 2923 dated 14/10/1983 on "Foreign Language Education and Instruction and the Learning of Different Languages and Dialects by Turkish Citizens," Law No. 2547, the Regulation on the Principles to be Followed in Foreign Language Teaching and Instruction in a Foreign Language at Higher Education Institutions published in the Official Gazette dated 04/12/2008 and numbered 27074, the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University Undergraduate Education and Instruction Regulation, and the decisions of the Council of Higher Education and the Senate apply.

Repealed Directive
ARTICLE 26- (1) The Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University Foreign Language Preparatory Class Education-Instruction and Examination Directive, accepted by Senate decision dated 27.06.2013 and numbered 2013-08 and updated by Senate decision dated 28.11.2023 and numbered 2023-26, is hereby repealed.

Entry into force
ARTICLE 27- (1) This Directive enters into force on the date it is accepted by the Senate.

Execution
ARTICLE 28- (1) The provisions of this Directive are executed by the Rector.