Overview
The İOKBS (İlköğretim ve Ortaöğretim Kurumları Bursluluk Sınavı) is the scholarship exam held each year by the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB), through its Directorate General for Measurement, Evaluation and Examination Services (ÖDSGM). Students from lower-income families who score well can receive a state scholarship (bursluluk) while studying at MEB public schools. One written test is used for every grade level, with questions based on that grade's curriculum. This page follows the 2026 exam and guide.
Who can apply
You must:
be a citizen of Türkiye or of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus;
be a student in grade 5, 6, 7 or 8 of a middle school, or in the preparatory class or grade 9, 10 or 11 of a secondary school;
not have received a school-change penalty in the year of the exam;
meet the income condition: for the 2026 exam, the family's 2025 total yearly income per person must not exceed 250,000 TL.
Other points from the guide:
Students of open education schools cannot receive the scholarship.
Students in private schools can apply, but they only keep the scholarship if they move to a public MEB school by 30 September 2026. Children with special legal entitlements keep it even in private schools.
Students abroad apply through the system or through education attachés and consulates. Winners from Northern Cyprus or abroad receive the scholarship only if they study in a public MEB school in Türkiye from 2026-2027.
Seats are split by quota: 10 percent for students with special legal rights (such as children of war and duty invalids), 5 percent for children of MEB teachers, 5 percent for students whose home area has no middle school, and 80 percent for everyone else. Unfilled quotas pass to the 80 percent group.
Exam pattern
One 100-minute session with 80 four-option multiple-choice questions, 20 per subject:
| Grades | Subjects (20 questions each) |
|---|---|
| 5, 6, 7 | Turkish, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies (with Religious Culture and Ethics) |
| 8 and preparatory class | Turkish, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences (Revolution History and Kemalism, with Religious Culture and Ethics) |
| 9, 10, 11 | Turkish Language and Literature, Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Social Sciences (History, Geography, Religious Culture and Ethics) |
Questions follow the curriculum published by the Board of Education for the grade. Students exempt from Religious Culture are asked extra social studies or social sciences questions instead.
Marking and results
Each test's raw score is correct answers minus one third of wrong answers.
Raw scores become standard scores (mean 50, standard deviation 10). All four tests have the same weight (3) and are added to a total weighted standard score.
That total is scaled to an İOKBS score between 100 and 500.
Results for 2026 were published from 1 June 2026 on meb.gov.tr. Objections to questions, answer keys and results must be made within 5 calendar days of publication and cost 75 TL.
Important dates
For the 2026 exam:
Applications: 9 February to 11 March 2026.
School approval deadline: 13 March 2026 (5 pm).
Exam centre information published at least 7 days before the exam on meb.gov.tr.
Exam: 26 April 2026 at 10:00 Turkish time.
Results: from 1 June 2026.
Fees
The guide lists no application fee. It states a fee of 75 TL for objecting to questions, answer keys or results.
How to apply
The parent applies at the student's school, and the school principal enters and approves the application in the e-Okul system, using the family income declaration (EK-1) and any quota documents. The student's electronic records must be correct before applying. A school commission checks the documents, and applications that are incomplete or not approved are invalid. Students with special education needs should register for exam support through their Guidance and Research Centre (RAM) before the application period ends.
After the exam
Winners are placed on scholarship according to the quotas and must be in an MEB public school. Scholarship payments start from the October after the student registers at the school. A winner placed in free boarding (parasız yatılı) cannot also receive the scholarship. Scholarship continuation and cancellation follow MEB's regulation on boarding, scholarships and social aid.
FAQs
Is the exam the same for every grade?
The format is the same: 80 questions in 100 minutes. The content differs by grade and follows that grade's curriculum.
Is there negative marking?
Yes. One third of a point is deducted for each wrong answer, while blanks are not penalised.
Does my family income matter?
Yes. Applicants must meet the income limit and provide the income declaration, unless they fall in the group with special legal rights, who are exempt from the declaration.