Do DELE and DALF Count as a YDS Score in Turkey?

What ÖSYM's table actually says

ÖSYM, Turkey's Measuring, Selection and Placement Centre, publishes a document called "Uluslararası Yabancı Dil Sınavları Eşdeğerlikleri" (International Foreign Language Exam Equivalences). The version currently listed on ÖSYM's site is dated 11 March 2025. It treats KPDS, ÜDS, YDS and e-YDS as equal to one another, then converts each listed international exam onto that scale.

For Spanish it lists DELE. For French it lists DELF and DALF. Three levels are recognised:

Choosing a route

The conversion is a fixed step, not a sliding scale: each level gives exactly one score. So the practical move is to start from the score your program asks for, then take the lowest level that reaches it. A requirement of 60 is met by B2. A requirement of 65 is not, because B2 converts to 60, so you would need C1, which converts to 80.

1. Which language are you strongest in?
   1. Spanish
      1. DELEB2 = 60, C1 = 80, C2 = 100
   2. French
      1. DELF B2 or DALFB2 = 60, C1 = 80, C2 = 100
2. Find the score your program or post asks for
3. Take the lowest level that reaches it
4. Confirm the conditions below with the institution

The diploma lasts for life, but the equivalence clock does not

Both issuers say their diplomas do not expire. Instituto Cervantes describes DELE diplomas as having "vigencia indefinida" (indefinite validity), and the Institut français Istanbul page says DELF-DALF diplomas are valid for life.

ÖSYM's document adds a separate rule: if a result document does not state its own validity date, the score can be used for equivalence for five years from the exam date printed on the document. A diploma with no expiry date is in exactly that position, so the safe assumption is that your DELE or DALF counts as a YDS equivalent for five years from your exam date, even though the diploma itself stays valid.

1. Exam datePrinted on your result
2. Diploma issuedNo expiry, per Cervantes and Institut français
3. Counts as a YDS equivalentFive years from the exam date, per ÖSYM
4. After five yearsAsk the institution before relying on it

What the exams cost

Same equivalent score, different price. These are the official 2026 fees at the Istanbul exam centres, in Turkish lira, at the standard rate:

DALF C1 costs about 1.8 times as much as DELE C1, although both convert to 80 points. Institut français lists a reduced rate for students who show an official document at registration: 4,050 TL for DELF B2 and 7,650 TL for DALF C1 and C2. The DELE fee page we read lists a single fee per level.

Fees change every year and can differ between centres, so read the current figure from the official pages linked below. Your language ability should decide which exam you take. Price is only a tiebreaker if you are equally strong in both.

Four things to check before you register

1. Your institution's own wording. ÖSYM says it issues no document that replaces an equivalence certificate, and that each institution applies the document itself. Ask whether it accepts DELE or DELF/DALF, and at which score.
2. The place and date on your result. ÖSYM's document says a result is not treated as equivalent if the result document does not show where and when the exam was taken.
3. The exam venue. The same passage says results are not accepted when the exam sessions an institution holds in Turkey for equivalence purposes are not held in state-university buildings. We could not find a public statement on how this applies to individual DELE or DALF sessions in Turkey, so ask the exam centre whether the session you are registering for qualifies, and keep the answer in writing.
4. The version in force. ÖSYM updates the table from time to time and decides which version applies by date, with a 30-day grace period for people already registered. Always read the current version on ÖSYM's page.

What to do with this

Start with the requirement, not the exam. Find the exact YDS score in your program's or post's announcement, match it to B2, C1 or C2 in the table, then check the four conditions above before you pay a fee.

Message us on WhatsApp to book a free trial lesson, and we'll help you work out whether B2, C1 or C2 is the realistic target for your language and your deadline.

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This article is based on ÖSYM's International Foreign Language Exam Equivalences document (current version dated 11 March 2025), the Instituto Cervantes DELE pages and the Institut français Istanbul DELF-DALF pages, all read in October 2026. Fees are the 2026 figures published by the Istanbul exam centres. Equivalence is applied by each institution, so confirm with the one you are applying to.

Further reading:

• ÖSYM - International Foreign Language Exam Equivalences
• ÖSYM - current equivalence document, 11 March 2025 (PDF)
• Instituto Cervantes - what DELE is
• Instituto Cervantes Istanbul - DELE fees and dates
• Institut français Istanbul - DELF and DALF fees and dates