Virtual School in Turkey: Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Years Before the YKS

By Brendaliz Chelangat, Head of Academics · October 2026 · 9 min read

Ask where Türkiye’s international schools are and the answer is short: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and not much else. Ask where internationally connected families live and the answer is far longer. Adana has İncirlik Air Base nearby and the energy industry around Ceyhan. Kayseri, Gaziantep and Konya are manufacturing cities that export across the world. Trabzon looks out over the Black Sea. Turkish families returning from Germany, the Netherlands or the UK settle in all of them. This guide is about those families, and about one decision they all reach in the lise years: whether to aim at the YKS, at an international qualification, or at both.

The map of provision, and the families outside it

International schooling in Türkiye follows the three largest cities closely. Beyond them, a family relocating for a plant, a hospital, a university post or an energy project usually finds a good Turkish school and nothing English-medium beyond it. Adana is the clearest example: a large city with a pipeline terminal at Ceyhan and Çukurova University, yet very limited international provision. The Anatolian industrial cities of Kayseri, Gaziantep, Konya and Denizli are similar, with exporting manufacturers whose managers travel constantly. On the Black Sea coast, Trabzon and Samsun have universities and ports but little international schooling. Returning Turkish families often bring children who have studied in English or German for years and do not want that record to stop.

What a virtual school does from a distance

For a family in Kayseri or Trabzon the alternative to us is rarely another school. It is a move to Istanbul, a long commute, or a child losing their English-medium record. A live online school closes that distance without a move. Classes are taught live by qualified teachers in small groups or one-to-one, on Türkiye Time, which is exactly Nairobi’s time, so there is no early start or late finish to absorb. Lessons are recorded, which matters for a student combining us with a demanding Turkish timetable. For Turkish citizens the child normally stays enrolled in an MEB school, which keeps the national record intact; expatriate families with documented residence may have more flexibility, and should confirm their position with the provincial education directorate.

The lise decision: YKS, A-Levels, or both

By the ninth or tenth grade a Turkish student has to choose where their effort goes. The YKS leads to Turkish universities and rewards intensive, specific preparation. Cambridge A-Levels, Pearson Edexcel International A-Levels, the IB or an AP portfolio lead abroad, and also to English-medium programmes at Turkish universities that consider international qualifications. Many families want to keep both doors open, and it can be done, but it needs discipline: two or three A-Levels chosen strictly for the target course, not four chosen from ambition, with the overlap in Mathematics and the sciences used deliberately. Where a student is certain of a Turkish university, the YKS route done well is usually the better use of those years, and we say so.

Exams and the journey to sit them

Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel examinations are sat at authorised exam centres, which families book, and in Türkiye the main centres are in Istanbul and Ankara. For a student in Adana or Gaziantep that means planning travel around each series, and for one in Trabzon or Van it may mean a flight. We plan the calendar with that in mind: fewer, better-prepared sittings rather than many small ones, and the centre confirmed per family, per session. Pearson Edexcel’s International GCSE and International A-Level run more series in the year than Cambridge, which can help a student fit sittings around Turkish school exams. Planning this a year ahead turns a long journey into a routine one.

Where the qualification leads

Inside Türkiye, Boğaziçi, METU, Koç, Sabancı and Bilkent all teach in English, and the private universities in particular are used to international applicants; entry requirements for foreign qualifications are set by each university and should be checked per programme. Outside Türkiye, UK universities read A-Levels directly through UCAS, US universities read AP and the wider school record through the Common Application, and German universities assess A-Levels and the IB against their own subject rules, which matters for the many families with ties to Germany. For Canada, our Ontario partner school offers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. One well-planned record, built steadily from an Anatolian or Black Sea city, can lead to all of these.

Türkiye’s international schooling is concentrated, but its international families are not. For a student in Adana, Kayseri, Gaziantep or Trabzon, a live online school on the same clock as Nairobi brings the international record within reach without a move, and helps the family make the YKS decision deliberately rather than by default. Book an assessment and we will look at your child’s grade, goals and nearest exam centre together.

Frequently asked questions

We live in Kayseri. Is a live online school realistic?

Yes. Delivery is identical in Kayseri, Trabzon or Istanbul: live classes on Türkiye Time, which matches Nairobi exactly, with every session recorded. A stable home connection is the main requirement.

Can my child prepare for the YKS and A-Levels at the same time?

It is possible with disciplined subject choice: two or three A-Levels aligned with the target course, with YKS preparation running through the Turkish school or elsewhere. If a Turkish university is certain, the YKS route alone is often the better choice.

Does my child need to leave their MEB school?

No. For Turkish citizens the usual arrangement keeps the MEB enrolment and runs our classes alongside it. Expatriate families should confirm their own position with the provincial education directorate.

How far will we travel for exams?

The main authorised exam centres are in Istanbul and Ankara. Families book the centre, it is confirmed per family per session, and we plan the sittings so the journeys are few and predictable.

Next steps

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“What stands out most about Smartious Homeschool and Tuition is their dedication to each learner. They don't rush through topics but ensure the child fully understands before moving forward. The progress my child has made in a short time is impressive. I would definitely recommend them to any parent.” — Google reviewer, Google review