Low success rate in Türkiye’s law licensing exam sparks debate
ISTANBUL
Only 23 percent of law faculty graduates in Türkiye passed the national licensing exam required to enter legal professions this year, heightening concerns about the quality of legal education and the fairness of the exam itself.
The legal profession entrance exam, introduced last year, is mandatory for students who enrolled in law schools after Oct. 24, 2019. Those who fail the exam cannot practice law.
Out of 5,818 law graduates who took this year’s exam, just over one in five achieved the minimum score of 70 required to qualify as a judge, prosecutor, lawyer or notary.
The steep drop in the pass rate, down from 42 percent in the first edition of the exam, has drawn criticism from legal academics, who argue that the test fails to accurately measure professional readiness.
“I don’t believe the results reflect the true capabilities of the students,” said Professor Havva Karagöz, dean of the Law Faculty at MEF University in Istanbul. “Even as a law professor, I would likely fail this test. The questions don’t serve the purpose of assessing real legal knowledge.”
Speaking to the private broadcaster NTV, Karagöz noted that the exam focuses heavily on memorization of legal texts, rather than evaluating understanding or analytical thinking.
“A student needs to memorize legal provisions word for word to pass. That’s not how legal education should work,” she explained.
She also questioned the transparency of the exam’s design process, underscoring and questioning why law faculty members are not actively involved in drafting the questions.
Low scores have also reignited debate over the rapid growth of law schools across Türkiye, many of which face criticism for overcrowding and lack of academic resources.
The number of law faculties must be reduced and quality must take precedence over quantity, according to Karagöz.
“I also believe law programs should be extended to five years [from the current four years], but this exam cannot solve structural problems in legal education,” she pointed out.
