ÇANKAYA | Preparatory School

The purpose of the Proficiency Exam is to identify whether the student's knowledge of English is sufficiently proficient to follow the university courses given in English. The English Language level of students in four-year faculties and the vocational training school is determined at the beginning of the academic year through a “Proficiency Test” prepared and given by the Preparatory School (CUPS) to gain a raw score. The University Presidency, through a commission in which the director of CUPS participates, converts this raw score into an achievement score.

The proficiency exam is given at the beginning and at the end of each academic year.
Students who get a minimum score of 60 on this exam pass the preparatory school English program and have the right to register in their faculty departments.
The date, place and time of the Proficiency Exam and the procedures to be followed before, during and after this exam are announced by CUPS.
The Proficiency Exam, given at the beginning of each academic year, is also used to determine the students' current level of competence in English so that they can be assigned to appropriate groups.

The main purpose of midterms is to test what is taught. Students take a total of 8 midterms throughout the year. Midterms constitute 80 % of the year–end score. Abilities tested in the midterms are listening, reading, speaking and writing, as well as grammar and vocabulary knowledge.

The academic year is made up of 2 terms and the students are given 4 midterm exams each term. So, students have a total of 8 midterms in an academic year.
The duration of the midterms vary from 1+1/2 to 2+1/2 hours.
There are no lessons on mid-term days for the classes taking the exam.
The students who cannot take a mid-term exam for a valid reason, proven with reports issued by state hospitals and submitted to the administration within 7 days following the mid-term exam date, will be given a make-up mid-term exam.
Midterms consist of several sections such as reading comprehension, listening, speaking and use of language (grammar, vocabulary and writing). The questions are either in open-ended, rewrite, sentence completion, cloze or in multiple-choice format.
Midterms also serve as a preparation for the Proficiency exam.
Students check the graded papers distributed to them by the instructor in one class hour and may ask questions about the exam. The papers then are to be collected and submitted to the testing office.
Midterms make up 80 % of student's Academic Year Achievement Score.

The main purpose of project work is to promote meaningful student engagement with language and content learning. Project work requires active student involvement, stimulates higher level thinking skills, and gives students responsibility for their own learning. In an academic year, students prepare two projects (one in each term), which aim to provide them with individual/group study skills, research skills and written and oral presentation and/or discussion abilities. Projects constitute 10 % of the Academic Year Achievement Score.

In-class activities: Instructors evaluate students according to their participation in classroom activities, their homework, whether they come to class prepared, and their behavior in the classroom. Instructors’ objective assessment regarding in-class activities is worth 25 %.

Quizzes: In each term, 2 - 5 compulsory quizzes are given to each class. The quiz scores constitute 25 % of instructor assessment.

Portfolio Assignments: The main goal of portfolio assignments is to make students be aware of their own learning process by providing them with constant feedback. By using a portfolio, students take the responsibility of keeping track of themselves and evaluating their own progress in English. For each term, students are required to keep both a Process Portfolio (in which they keep all the learning artifacts throughout the term) and Product Portfolio (in which they choose their best learning artifacts at the end of the term) files. Portfolio assignments are worth 50 %.

* The score resulting from this evaluation (involving in-class activities, quizzes, and portfolio assignments) constitutes 10 % of the year–end score. In brief, the calculation of the Academic Year Achievement Score is as follows:

The General Achievement Score of a student is calculated by adding 30% of their Academic Year Achievement Score with 70% of their year-end Proficiency Test Score.

Students whose general achievement scores are 60% and above are entitled to attend the Freshman Program, and continue their English Program through Vocational English lessons appropriate to the program they are participating in. These lessons are for credit.