TUBITAK SCIENCE
National science olympiads are organised by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) in mathematics, computing, physics, chemistry and biology with a view to encouraging students (except those in 12th grade) to study the basic sciences, and to direct their work and support their development.
The olympiads take the form of a two-stage examination. Students who place sufficiently highly in the second stage of the competition receive medals, cash prizes and a once-only increment in the coefficient used to calculate their performance in the Undergraduate Placement Examination (LYS), which forms part of the examination system for university entrance. If the students go on to register in a basic science department of a Turkish university, based on their performance in the LYS, they also qualify for scholarships from TUBITAK under its undergraduate scholarships programme.
The TUBITAK olympiads are designed to encourage students to use their academic scientific knowledge and to demonstrate and improve their abilities. Students at our school receive education in physics and mathematics at university level with the support of advisor teachers. Students who enrol in the preparatory class are taken to a physics and mathematics work camp for approximately one week before the start of the school year as part of the preparations for the olympiads. After education starts, the students continue this work with specialist academics on one day of the week and on Saturdays. After a certain time, they are divided into separate groups for physics and mathematics according to their performances and inclinations. They then concentrate on this field with a view to entering the olympiad examination, which is conducted by TUBITAK in May of each year. Work related to the olympiads continues in grades 9, 10 and 11.
