Overview
The Millî Savunma Üniversitesi Askerî Öğrenci Aday Belirleme Sınavı (MSÜ) is the first selection stage for entry to the Turkish military academies (Harp Okulları) and the non-commissioned officer vocational colleges (Astsubay Meslek Yüksekokulları). The Ministry of National Defence sets the entry rules and ÖSYM, the national measurement and selection centre, runs the exam. Both women and men are admitted.
The details below describe the 2026 cycle (2026-MSÜ). The ÖSYM guide itself could not be downloaded directly, so the exam details come from a copy of the guide hosted on a school website, and the dates come from ÖSYM announcements. Check the ÖSYM site and the ministry's personnel recruitment site before applying.
Note
Passing MSÜ does not by itself get you a place. You must also sit the YKS university entrance exam in the same year, then pass the second selection stages (physical, personality, interview and health checks).
Who can apply
For the 2026 cycle, the guide lists these main conditions:
Turkish citizen. Dual nationals may apply but must give up the other citizenship before graduating.
Born on or after 1 January 2005.
Final-year high school students must graduate before the final enrolment deadline of 2026. Earlier graduates may apply regardless of graduation year, if they meet the age rule.
Score at or above the cut-off the ministry sets for being called to the second stage.
Not married, not pregnant and without children. The guide also lists clean-record, security-investigation and previous-service conditions.
A medical report for military students. Air Force Academy candidates need a report that also clears them for flight training.
Minimum height of 165 cm for men and 160 cm for women. Air Force Academy candidates must be between 165 and 190 cm.
Exam pattern
The test is a single booklet of 120 five-option multiple-choice questions at secondary-school level. It lasts 165 minutes. In 2026 it started at 10:15 and candidates were not admitted after 10:00.
| Sub-test | Questions |
|---|---|
| Turkish | 40 |
| Basic Mathematics | 40 |
| Social Sciences (History 5, Geography 5, Philosophy 5, Religious Culture and Ethics 5) | 20 |
| Natural Sciences (Physics 7, Chemistry 7, Biology 6) | 20 |
Candidates who did not take the compulsory Religious Culture and Ethics course answer five extra philosophy questions instead, so their Social Sciences section has 25 questions in total.
Marking and results
The raw score of each sub-test is the number of correct answers minus a quarter of the wrong answers.
Raw scores are converted to standard scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10.
Weighted scores are then scaled to a range of 100 to 500 to give four score types: MSÜ-Sayısal, MSÜ-Eşit Ağırlık, MSÜ-Sözel and MSÜ-Genel.
A candidate needs at least 0.5 raw points in Basic Mathematics or Turkish for a weighted score to be calculated.
| Score type | Turkish | Basic Mathematics | Natural Sciences | Social Sciences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSÜ-Sayısal | 25% | 35% | 30% | 10% |
| MSÜ-Eşit Ağırlık | 35% | 35% | 10% | 20% |
| MSÜ-Sözel | 35% | 20% | 10% | 35% |
| MSÜ-Genel | 33% | 33% | 17% | 17% |
MSÜ results are valid only for the year of the exam and cannot be used for placement in other universities.
Important dates
For 2026:
Applications: 5 to 29 January 2026, through ÖSYM application centres, the ÖSYM candidate system or its mobile app.
Exam day: Sunday 1 March 2026.
Results: announced on 24 March 2026.
Fees
For 2026 the exam fee was 700 TL. Candidates who are children or spouses of martyrs or veterans, and veterans themselves, are not charged the application or exam fee. Applications are complete only once the fee is paid.
How to apply
Check the ministry's entry conditions, then apply through ÖSYM (application centre, candidate system or mobile app).
Pay the exam fee within the application period.
Download the admission document the week of the exam and bring it with photo ID.
After results, enter your school preferences on the ministry's personnel recruitment site during the dates it announces. Candidates who skip this step are not called to the second stage.
After the exam
Also required: YKS. For Harp Okulları, candidates must sit both the TYT and the AYT sessions of the same year's YKS. For the vocational colleges, the TYT session is enough. Candidates who skip the relevant YKS session cannot be placed.
Second selection stages. Candidates above the ministry's cut-off are called to Ankara. The stage covers document checks, physical measurement, a personality test, a physical fitness test and an interview. Air Force Academy candidates also take a psychomotor test, over three days. Band college candidates take a music aptitude test. Health reports are handled separately.
Placement. Candidates are placed using a candidate evaluation score built from the YKS score (without the school achievement bonus), the fitness test, the interview and, for the band college, the music test. The YKS score type depends on the school, for example Sayısal for the Naval and Air Force Academies, and TYT for the vocational colleges.
Schools. The guide describes the Army, Naval and Air Force Academies (five years including preparatory year, with a degree plus officer commission) and the Army, Naval, Air and Band vocational colleges (two years, with an associate degree plus a non-commissioned officer rank). Students' food, lodging, clothing, tuition and health insurance are covered by the state, and they receive a stipend.
FAQs
Is MSÜ enough to enter a military academy?
No. It is only the first stage. You must also take the relevant YKS sessions and pass the second selection stages.
Can I use the MSÜ score for a civilian university?
No. The score is valid only for the year of the exam and only for military student selection.