TYT Maths Topics: What the 40 Questions Cover and How to Study Them

TYT maths topics deserve a big place in your YKS plan, because basic maths (Temel Matematik) is 40 of the 120 TYT questions. It carries the same weight as Turkish in the TYT score, and many students lose most of their points here. However, the topics repeat from year to year, so a clear plan works very well. In this guide, we cover the official scope, the split in recent papers and a study method for each topic group.

Why basic maths matters in TYT

In the TYT score, basic maths carries a weight of 33, exactly like Turkish, while social sciences and science carry 17 each. Since TYT makes up 40% of every SAY, EA, SÖZ and DİL score, maths helps you in every track. A TYT score also needs at least 0.5 net in Turkish or basic maths. Our guide to YKS score calculation shows how nets turn into scores.

The 2026 numbers show how hard this test feels for many candidates. According to ÖSYM’s 2026 statistics, the average result in basic maths was only about 6 out of 40. For final-year students, it was close to 7. So a student who solves the basic topics reliably already moves far ahead of the average.

What ÖSYM says the maths test measures

The 2026 YKS guide says the test measures three things: using basic maths concepts, doing operations and abstract reasoning with basic relations, and applying maths to daily life. In addition, it makes candidates responsible for the topics in MEB’s list of outcomes for the 2026 exams. In short, the topics come from the school curriculum, and the questions often wrap them in short real-life stories.

How recent papers split TYT maths topics

We counted the questions in ÖSYM’s 2026 TYT booklet and in the 2025 and 2024 papers. In all three, questions 1–30 were maths and questions 31–40 were geometry. So in recent papers, geometry made up 10 of the 40 questions, a quarter of the test. This is our own count, not an official rule, so check each new paper.

The TYT maths topics in questions 1–30

Across the 2024, 2025 and 2026 papers, the first 30 questions covered four groups of topics.

Numbers and operations

This group includes numbers, fractions and decimals, exponents and roots, and absolute value. It also covers digits and place value (basamak), division and divisibility, and prime numbers. These topics are the base for everything else, so start here.

Sets, logic, functions and ordering

Recent papers also had questions on sets, logic with propositions (önermeler), graphs of linear functions and ordering (sıralama). These topics are short, which makes them good targets once your number skills are solid.

Data, counting and probability

Data questions asked for the mean, the median or the range, or for reading a pie chart. In addition, counting, permutations and combinations, and probability appeared in recent papers.

Word problems

Word problems formed a large block in all three papers. They covered percentages, ratio and proportion, age, motion and speed, clock and calendar questions, and worker or pool-type logic. Because every problem is a short Turkish text, these questions test reading as much as maths.

The geometry questions (31–40)

Triangles were the biggest geometry topic in every recent paper. In 2026, questions 31–35 were on triangles. Then came a deltoid, rectangles and area, regular polygons with an isosceles trapezoid, and two questions on rectangular prisms. The 2025 paper had angles, three triangle questions, area in a rectangle, a right trapezoid with squares, regular polygons and two prisms. Similarly, 2024 asked about angles in a rectangle, four triangle questions, rectangles, a trapezoid, regular polygons and two prisms.

So the pattern is clear: learn triangles first, then four-sided shapes and polygons, and finish with prisms.

How to study TYT maths topics

1. Start with a level test. First, find the topics that cost you the most nets.
2. Build the number base. Fractions, exponents, roots and divisibility appear in many other questions, so fix them early.
3. Train word problems in Turkish. Learn key words such as “yüzde” (percent), “oran” (ratio), “hız” (speed) and “yaş” (age). Then solve a few problems daily.
4. Give geometry its own time. Ten questions are too many to skip, so practise triangles weekly.
5. Practise without a calculator. ÖSYM bans calculators in the exam, and you may write only in the margins of the booklet. Therefore, train mental arithmetic and tidy working in small spaces.
6. Take timed practice exams. Then note the topic behind every wrong answer.

TYT maths topics: tips for Arab and international students

• Read the question twice. Many mistakes come from the Turkish text, not from the maths.
• Learn the maths vocabulary. Words such as “toplam” (sum), “fark” (difference), “çarpım” (product), “kalan” (remainder) and “ardışık” (consecutive) appear all the time.
• Use the net rule wisely. A wrong answer costs a quarter of a correct one. So skip a question when you have no idea, and come back later.
• Keep TYT and AYT apart in your plan. TYT maths is the base, while AYT maths goes much deeper for SAY and EA students.

How ILEAP Academy helps with TYT maths topics

ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. We start with a level test, so each student knows which TYT maths topics to fix first. Teachers explain maths in Arabic and also train the Turkish of word problems, because that is where many students lose points. In addition, timed practice exams show your nets in maths and geometry, so you can follow your progress. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. Discover ILEAP Academy to book a level test, and read our guide to TYT Turkish topics for the other big test.

Frequently asked questions

How are TYT maths topics split between maths and geometry?

In the 2024, 2025 and 2026 papers, questions 1–30 were maths and questions 31–40 were geometry. This is our own count of the booklets, not an official rule.

Which TYT maths topics should I study first?

Start with numbers, fractions, exponents and divisibility, because many other questions use them. Then add word problems and triangles, which came up often in recent papers.

Can I use a calculator in TYT?

No. Calculators are on ÖSYM’s list of banned items, so you do all your working by hand in the margins of the booklet.