Changes in 2021 high school graduation exam

More than 120,000 Kazakh citizens will be taking their high school graduation exam this year, which, for the first time, will be held in an electronic format. School students will sit the exam at 51 testing centers, spokespeople of the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science announced at a press briefing. While in the previous years the exam was held on average from seven to 10 days, now it is held from April to June, they added. School students can now choose the place and time of testing themselves.

“It is very convenient for schoolchildren when they can choose the date, time and place of the exam. Another advantage is that the test score will be immediately available upon completion of the test, and not at the end of the working day, as it was before. If the test taker does not agree with the results, he or she has the opportunity to file an appeal on the spot after 30 minutes. It is planned that the exam will be carried out like this: a test taker, a computer and a camera. We paid particular attention to ensuring information security,” said Adlet Toibayev, spokesperson, Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science.

Not only informational, but also sanitary safety will be observed at the test centers as well. Exams will be held with the compliance with mask wearing regulations, social distancing and with the use of special temperature check tablets. For the first time, this year the test taker will be given two attempts to pass the exam. The amount of test questions and subjects will remain the same.

 “There are two elective subjects and three compulsory ones. There are 15 questions on the history of Kazakhstan, 15 questions on math literacy, 20 - on reading literacy, and 35 questions for each of two elective subjects. The total time of the exam is 240 minutes or four hours. I would like to note that in accordance with sanitary requirements, two and 15 minutes breaks will be provided every hour and two hours so children could take a break from the computer and do some eye gymnastics,” said Didar Smagulov, director, National Testing Center.