The Department of Basic English offers compulsory English preparatory instruction for the students who are placed the undergraduate programs of the Yıldız Technical University which provide education in at least 30% or more English in terms of the number of courses offered. This instruction consists of a minimum of two semesters of 15 weeks. This course aims to provide students with the basic language skills that they will need in their departmental studies.

At Yıldız Technical University, an English Proficiency Exam (İYS, in its Turkish initials) is applied at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. September, in order to determine the level of English required for the students enrolled in the undergraduate programs with at least 30% or more English to attend the programs that they are enrolled in. Students who cannot document their English proficiency in this examination must continue their English preparatory education. Students must take at least 60 out of 100 in English Proficiency Exam (İYS) in order to be successful. In this case, students are exempted from preparatory education.

Students who bring their official score cards with the following results from national and international examinations are also exempted from the compulsory English Preparatory Program. The minimum scores required for this exam are:

The success an progress of the students of the Department of Basic English is calculated via the weight of quizzes, mid-term exams, web-based exercises, class participation grade and writing portfolio in their term-based Grand Point Average. Students who fail two semesters of preparatory instruction cannot repeat the program in the following year. Unsuccessful students are entitled to 4 English Proficiency Exams (IYS) starting with the following academic year.

Students who fail in all these English Proficiency Exams (İYS) are placed, upon their demand, in Turkish programs with the same name by OSYM according to the rules determined by the Council of Higher Education.