LGS Turkish Study Guide: Topics, Plan and Tactics

This guide brings together everything an 8th grader preparing for the LGS, Turkey’s high school entrance exam, needs to plan their Turkish study: what the test measures, which topics to cover, in what order, how to build a weekly plan and how to learn from mock exams. It collects the methods that work best in my one-to-one lessons.

Note: The number of questions, the timing and the scope of the exam are announced each year in the official guide published by Turkey’s Ministry of National Education (MEB). Always check the current guide before making your plan.

What does the LGS Turkish test measure?
Topic map
In what order should you study?
A sample weekly plan
Approaching paragraph questions
Mock exams and the error log
The final weeks and exam day
Notes for parents

1. What does the LGS Turkish test measure?

The LGS Turkish test measures reading comprehension and accurate use of the language more than memorised facts. Many questions are built on a text, a visual or a table, and grammar is usually tested inside sentences, in context.

Good preparation therefore rests on two things: learning the topics properly and reading every day to get faster at working with texts. Students who only review topics know the rules but run out of time; students who only solve questions keep repeating the same kinds of mistakes.

2. Topic map

Meaning: word meaning (literal, figurative and technical meaning; idioms and proverbs), sentence meaning (cause and effect, purpose, condition, comparison, subjective and objective statements) and figures of speech.
Paragraphs and texts: main idea, supporting ideas, topic, title, completing a paragraph, ordering sentences, modes of expression and text types.
Grammar: verbals (verbal nouns, participles and converbs), sentence elements, voice, sentence types and expression errors.
Spelling and punctuation.

There are also verbal reasoning and visual reading questions: interpreting a table, a chart or a set of conditions and drawing the right conclusion. They are not tied to one topic but improve quickly with regular practice.

3. In what order should you study?

Word and sentence meaning: the foundation of paragraph questions.
Paragraphs: solve a few every day from the very start.
Verbals and sentence elements: voice and sentence types build on these.
Voice and sentence types.
Spelling and punctuation: short, regular reviews throughout the year.
Figures of speech, text types and expression errors.

In 7th grade, the best investment is a reading habit and a strong grasp of meaning. In the first term of 8th grade, topics are completed and mock exams begin. In the second term, the focus shifts to mock-exam analysis, closing gaps and time management.

4. A sample weekly plan

Every day: 20–30 minutes of reading and 10 paragraph questions.
Twice a week: review one grammar topic and practise questions on it.
Once a week: spelling and punctuation, or verbal reasoning questions.
Once a week: a Turkish mock test, analysed the same day or the next.
Once a week: review the error log and keep the day light.

Short study sessions done every day always beat long ones done irregularly.

5. Approaching paragraph questions

Read the question stem first and underline negative stems.
Read the paragraph once, with a purpose: what is the topic, what does the author think, which examples are given?
Eliminate wrong options instead of hunting for the right one.
Mark and move on when you get stuck; come back at the end.

I cover this in detail in Running out of time on reading passages? 6 practical tactics.

6. Mock exams and the error log

A mock exam measures your preparation; the real learning happens in the analysis afterwards. After each mock, sort your wrong and blank answers by type and note the cause: a topic gap, a lapse in attention or time. Keeping these notes in an error log shows whether the same mistakes keep coming back. See The real work starts after the mock test: how to keep an error log.

7. The final weeks and exam day

Focus on review and mock-exam analysis rather than new topics.
Take mocks at the real exam time and with the real duration.
Go through your error log one last time, focusing on recurring mistakes.
The day before the exam, do a light review and get to bed early.

For managing nerves, see Exam-day nerves: 6 small habits to help you stay steady. If anxiety seriously affects daily life, talking to the school counsellor or a professional is the right step.

8. Notes for parents

Focus on your child’s routine more than their score; how consistently they follow the plan decides the long-term result.
Shared reading time at home is one of the most effective kinds of support.
After each mock, ask “What did you notice this time?” instead of comparing scores.
As the exam approaches, protecting rest and sleep matters more than adding pressure.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start studying for LGS Turkish?

7th grade is a good time to build a reading habit and a grasp of meaning. Topic study and mock exams usually intensify at the start of 8th grade. Even if you start late, a steady plan and mock-exam analysis can bring real progress.

How many paragraph questions should I solve a day?

Consistency matters more than the number. Starting with 10 timed questions a day and reviewing mistakes works better than solving hundreds on a single day.

How many questions are in the LGS Turkish test, and how long is it?

The number of questions, timing and scope are announced each year in the official LGS guide published by the Ministry of National Education. Always check the current guide.