Is there a Turkish GCSE and a Turkish A level? Do they count for university applications?

Who does this apply to?

• This is general information. It does not assess anyone's personal situation. It is for students in England whose first or heritage language is Turkish. It is based on the Pearson GCSE and A level Turkish pages, the GOV.UK qualification levels and the UCAS application page (October 2026).

Is there a Turkish GCSE?

• Yes. Pearson Edexcel has a "GCSE Turkish (2018)" qualification page. It says teaching started in September 2018 and external assessment in 2020; the specification is published as a PDF (the page says "issue 4").
• What is known of Pearson's specification (we could not extract the text of the PDF; this rests on search summaries, so check the PDF for certainty): code 1TU0, four papers (listening, speaking, reading, writing) each worth 25% of the grade; Foundation and Higher tiers.
• GCSE grades run from 9 to 1. GOV.UK says grades 9 to 4 are Level 2.

A level Turkish

• Pearson Edexcel also has an "A level Turkish (2018)" page; teaching from September 2018 and external assessment from 2020. The page does not describe the papers; it points to sample assessment materials.

The question "is it valid?"

• A Turkish GCSE is a regulated qualification with a certificate, like other GCSEs. Like a GCSE in any other language, it does not stand in for a required subject such as English or maths.
• Universities set their own entry requirements. Many courses ask for specific subjects and grades; if Turkish is not on that list it may not help meet the requirement. So ask the university for the course entry requirements and whether they count this language.
• UCAS asks you to list all qualifications from secondary school onwards (completed, current and pending) in your education history. A Turkish GCSE or A level should be on that list.
• On the UCAS Tariff only regulated Level 3 qualifications receive points. A levels are Level 3; we did not separately verify that A level Turkish is on the Tariff. UCAS says only about a third of courses advertise their requirements in Tariff points; most ask for specific subjects and grades.

Who can take the exam?

• Some schools report that they offer "community language" exams only to Year 10 and 11 pupils. That is those schools' own policy, not an official rule. Entries are made through an exam centre (often a school); ask the centre.

Points to watch

• Official pages change. This post is a general summary.

What can you do?

• See the Edexcel GCSE Turkish (2018) and Edexcel A level Turkish (2018) pages.
• For university requirements look at the course page or UCAS: Filling in your application.