What can you do at Turkish A1 level?

At Turkish A1, you can introduce yourself and others, ask and answer simple questions about personal details (name, age, where you live), understand and use familiar everyday expressions, and handle very basic transactions such as buying something in a shop. You know around 300–500 common words.

What can you do at Turkish B1 level?

At Turkish B1, you can handle most everyday situations — ordering food, asking for directions, talking about your job, plans, opinions, and past experiences. You can follow the main points of clear, standard speech on familiar topics, write simple texts on familiar subjects, and get by comfortably as a traveller in Turkey. Vocabulary reaches approximately 2,000–3,000 words.

What is the difference between B1 and B2 Turkish?

B1 means you can handle most everyday situations independently. B2 means you can understand the main ideas of complex text, including abstract topics, and converse fluently with native speakers without strain. At B2 you can follow Turkish TV news, read newspaper articles, and discuss professional topics. Moving from B1 to B2 is often the biggest jump in Turkish, requiring a significant expansion of vocabulary and mastery of complex tense and conditional structures.

What level of Turkish do I need for daily life in Turkey?

A2 is sufficient for basic daily survival in Turkey — shopping, restaurants, transport, simple directions. B1 allows for comfortable daily life, making local friends, and handling more complex situations like dealing with administrative tasks. For professional work in Turkish, B2 or higher is generally required.

What level do I start at if I have never studied Turkish?

Complete beginners start at A1. No prior knowledge of Turkish is needed or assumed. Before your first lesson at Royal Turkish Schools, you take a free 5-minute placement test that confirms your starting level and ensures you are placed in the correct group.

Turkish Language Levels Explained (A1 to C1)

Q: What are the Turkish language levels?

Turkish language levels follow the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) defined by the Council of Europe: A1 (Beginner), A2 (Elementary), B1 (Intermediate), B2 (Upper-Intermediate), C1 (Advanced), and C2 (Mastery). Most Turkish language schools, including Royal Turkish Schools, teach from A1 to C1.

Quick Reference

Turkish levels follow the CEFR framework (Council of Europe): A1 Beginner → A2 Elementary → B1 Intermediate → B2 Upper-Intermediate → C1 Advanced. Royal Turkish Schools teaches all levels. Complete beginners always start at A1.

Jump to a Level

All levels at Royal Turkish Schools follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the international standard adopted by language schools, universities, and employers worldwide. Each level is defined by what a learner can actually do with the language — not just what grammar rules they have memorised.

A1 — Beginner

First words, first conversations

A1 is the starting point for all learners with no prior Turkish. By the end of A1 you can handle the most basic social exchanges and understand very simple written text.

What you can do

Introduce yourself and others
Give and ask for personal details
Order food and drink
Count, tell the time, give dates
Ask for prices and make simple purchases
Understand basic signs and menus

Grammar & vocabulary

~300–500 active words
Present tense (geniş zaman)
Simple past (-di'li geçmiş)
Personal pronouns & basic suffixes
Accusative & locative cases
Yes/no questions and negation

⏱ ~60–80 hrs classroom

📅 1–2 weeks full-time in Turkey

📚 Yeni Hitit 1 (units 1–3)

A2 — Elementary

Daily survival, basic conversation

A2 is the practical daily-life level. You can navigate Turkey as a tourist, understand the gist of short conversations, and communicate your basic needs. Most students reach A2 after 4–6 weeks of full-time study.

What you can do

Ask for and give directions
Describe your daily routine and job
Talk about family, hobbies, plans
Handle transport, hotels, pharmacies
Read simple menus, signs, short texts
Write short messages and notes

Grammar & vocabulary

~800–1,200 active words
Future tense (-ecek/-acak)
Reported past (-miş'li geçmiş)
Dative, ablative, genitive cases
Postpositions (için, ile, gibi)
Basic subordinate clauses

⏱ ~120–180 hrs classroom

📅 4–6 weeks full-time in Turkey

📚 Yeni Hitit 1 (complete)

B1 — Intermediate

Independent use — the key milestone

B1 is the CEFR's definition of an independent user. At B1 you can handle most situations that arise while travelling in Turkey and hold a genuine conversation about everyday topics. This is the level most students target for a 2–3 month stay.

What you can do

Handle unexpected situations (lost item, complaint, doctor)
Express opinions, agree, disagree
Describe experiences, events, dreams
Follow clear speech on familiar topics
Write straightforward connected texts
Have a real conversation with a native speaker

Grammar & vocabulary

~2,000–3,000 active words
Conditional (-se/-sa)
Verbal nouns & infinitives
Causative & passive voice
Relative clauses (-en/-an, -diği)
Complex tense combinations

⏱ ~200–350 hrs classroom

📅 8–12 weeks full-time in Turkey

📚 Yeni Hitit 2

B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Fluent interaction, complex topics

B2 marks the transition from functional to fluent. You can interact naturally with native speakers, follow Turkish media, and handle professional communication. The B1→B2 jump is widely considered the hardest step in Turkish — vocabulary requirements grow sharply and grammar structures become significantly more complex.

What you can do

Follow news, documentaries, films
Read newspapers and standard articles
Discuss abstract topics (politics, culture)
Participate in professional meetings
Write detailed reports, letters, essays
Understand regional accents and colloquial speech

Grammar & vocabulary

~5,000–7,000 active words
Advanced conditionals & subjunctives
Participle clauses & converbs
Complex reported speech
Idiomatic expressions & collocations
Register variation (formal/informal)

⏱ ~350–600 hrs classroom

📅 4–6 months consistent study

📚 Yeni Hitit 3

C1 — Advanced

Near-native proficiency

C1 is the level at which Turkish feels natural and automatic. You can express yourself fluently on any topic, understand subtlety and nuance, and communicate effectively in demanding academic or professional contexts. This is the highest level taught at Royal Turkish Schools.

What you can do

Express ideas fluently and spontaneously
Understand implied meaning and irony
Read literary texts and academic papers
Write well-structured academic or professional texts
Handle complex negotiations and presentations
Understand fast, colloquial, or regional speech

Grammar & vocabulary

10,000+ active words
Full mastery of Turkish morphology
Literary and archaic forms
Complex nominalisation structures
Stylistic and rhetorical variation
Ottoman loan words and formal register

⏱ ~600–900 hrs classroom

📅 9–15 months consistent study

📚 Advanced in-house materials

Which Level Is Right for You?

Before your first lesson at Royal Turkish Schools, you take a free Royal Assessment — a 5-minute online placement test that measures your reading comprehension and grammar knowledge and assigns you to the correct level group. There is no need to guess your level before you arrive.

If you are a complete beginner, you start at A1. There is no minimum level requirement.

Certificate for Each Level

On completion of each level, students receive an official MEB-accredited attendance certificate from Royal Turkish Schools, stating the level completed (e.g. Turkish A2), course type, duration, and number of lessons. These certificates are recognised by universities, employers, and immigration authorities internationally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to complete one level before moving to the next?

Not necessarily. Your progress is assessed throughout the course, and if you are advancing faster than the group average, your teacher may recommend moving up mid-course. Most students move through levels sequentially, but the pace depends on your individual progress.

Is there a Turkish C2 level?

Yes — C2 is the CEFR's highest level, representing full mastery equivalent to an educated native speaker. In practice, very few non-native learners reach C2. Royal Turkish Schools teaches up to C1; C2 proficiency is typically developed through years of living and working entirely in Turkish.

Which level is needed for a Turkish university?

Turkish universities that teach in Turkish generally require a B2 or C1 certificate, often measured by the TÖMER (Turkish Teaching Centre) or TÖMER-equivalent test. Some programmes accept B2; competitive programmes require C1. Our courses provide the language foundation; the formal certification exam is taken separately.

Is there a Turkish level test I can take online?

Yes. Royal Turkish Schools offers a free 5-minute Royal Assessment that places you on the A1–C1 scale based on your reading and grammar knowledge. You can take it before you enrol to get an indication of your starting level.