KPDS

The KPDS (Kamu Personeli Dil Sinavi;: Language Proficiency Test for Government Employees) is a language examination administered in Turkey in order to evaluate the foreign-language skills, especially of governmental officials.

The exam is set in several languages, but mainly in English. It is administered in Ankara, on the first Sundays of May and November. As the questions are not published or sent to the participants in any way, it is the subject of much controversy. However, recently, in accordance with a recent law, which requires all governmental agencies to give information on whatever they are asked in the area of their responsibility, there are plans to publish the questions following the exam day.

The exam consists of a hundred items if taken in English, French, German, Arabic, Bulgarian, Persian, Italian, or Russian. In other languages, candidates are given a text to be translated.

Soon the exam results will be used to employ English language teachers in state schools; only those who get a certain mark will be appointed as teachers.