Entrance Exam

MA in Conference Interpreting

Admission Criteria

The program aims to recruit students from among university graduates who hold a degree in a wide range of subjects, such as translation and interpreting, law, business administration, international relations, economics, medicine and engineering. Candidates will need to be competent in Turkish and English as well as a third language offered within the program (German, Italian, French, Spanish). Language combinations offered for each academic cycle are announced prior to the call for applications. Candidates must offer a minimum language combination of A-B-C (click here for an explanation of the A-B-C classification).  In addition to satisfying the general entry requirements for Boğaziçi University, candidates must take a written and oral examination designed to assess their language combinations and proficiency (see below). Please note that applicants to this program are exempt from the ALES requirement.

Full details of conditions and documents required for application can be found here. Opening of the program will be announced via the Candidates section of the Boğaziçi University website and applications are made through the university’s graduate application system.

Admission Test

Candidates who meet the application conditions will be invited to sit an admission test. The test is conducted in two stages: an eliminatory written examination followed by an oral examination.

Written examination: The written examination aims to assess candidates’ comprehension of their passive languages, and production of their active languages. Candidates will be asked to produce written translations of short texts on topical (non-technical) subjects in their B and C languages into their A language, and of a similar text in their A language into in their B language. Successful candidates shall demonstrate a good understanding of the source text, as well as clear, accurate and fluent use of the target language. The use of dictionaries will not be allowed. Candidates who pass all sections of the written examination will be invited back to attend the oral examination.
 

Oral examination: The oral examination aims to assess candidates’ general knowledge, and their ability to understand and reproduce a short speech on a general topic. The examination will begin with a short interview with the candidate, which may also include a number of questions on issues of general knowledge. This interview may be conducted in the candidate’s A or B language. The candidate will then be expected to listen to speeches on a topical subject of approximately three minutes in length and, without taking notes, relay these in their active languages (i.e. candidates will relay speeches from their B and C languages into their A language and from their A language into their B language). Candidates will not be asked to perform simultaneous interpreting in the oral examination. Candidates must pass all sections of the oral examination to be admitted to the program.