The Turkish Language Exam (TDS) project, which was developed with national software, enables those learning Turkish as a foreign language to take a reliable exam anywhere in the world.

Some 10,000 people have received certificates so far through the TDS, which measures reading, listening, writing and speaking skills.

Head of the project Mustafa Hürmüzlü told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they have been conducting online exams since 2015 and that they started to develop TDS in 2017 since there was no system in Turkey that measured four language skills at the same time.

He added that they cooperate with several universities, including Gazi University, Hacettepe University, Anadolu University, the Social Sciences University of Ankara, Yozgat Bozok University, Çankırı Karatekin University, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Antalya Science University and Istanbul Gedik University.

Hürmüzlü added that exam centers exist in Istanbul, western Izmir and the capital Ankara as well as in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Iran.

"We try to open exam centers in countries from which students could come to Turkey to study. It is sufficient for us to have one exam center in one of the European countries. With the cooperation of universities, the exam’s security, the system’s success and quality are enhanced. This exam system will contribute to the internationalization of Turkey’s education," he said.

"The online exam can be taken through a laptop and PC. The questions of the exam are constantly updated. The candidate is given a unique one-use code for the exam and the identity of the candidate is checked before the exam. Every aspect of the exam environment is controlled and monitored."