Finding a good job, making an academic career and advancing in a profession requires a high level of foreign language proficiency whose evidence is provided through proficiency exams. In Turkey’s case, proficiency exams in various languages are designed, administered and graded under the name of foreign language proficiency exam (YDS) by the Measuring, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). It's one of the important exam which is broadly accepted in relation to the business life, academic carier and for language proficiency. For graduates of German Language and Literature departments, this exam is also highly crucial and can only be passed with great effort and hard work. This study aims to evaluate the graduates who failed in this exam, and who became successful in such a difficult situation. To this end, opinions and suggestions of 40 participants, who are graduates of Akdeniz University German Language and Litarature, about YDS were taken with the questionnaire and the complications encountered along passing the exam were tried to be determined in many aspects, the reason for failiure and thing to be done for success were investigated. Data were analyzed through employing the frequency analysis, means scores, the correlation analysis, Cramer’s V and discourse analysis. Results were presented and discussed in the findings section. In the last section, implications and suggestions for success in short time and easily in YDS were presented. Findings presented contain useful information in revising the curriculums and their contents. In addition, the study will ease and shed light on preparation process of German Language and Literature, German Teaching and German Translation and Interpretation students for YDS.

Keywords: Foreign language level / placement test, student views, success, failure