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- Passage shaft: in Russia, it was proposed to change the rules of admission to universities
Passage shaft: in Russia, it was proposed to change the rules of admission to universities
High USE scores do not always become a university admission: in a number of universities, applicants must take additional internal exams (DVI), and an unsuccessful result can negate the chances of admission. In this regard, Russia has proposed to change the admission rules, allowing applicants to choose according to which results they will be selected — the Unified State Exam or university entrance tests. The authors of the initiative believe that this will reduce stress for graduates, eliminate double-checking knowledge and make the admission system more transparent.
What is the problem of DVI
An admission campaign to universities has been launched in Russia. In 2026, applicants can apply in three ways: through the Gosuslug portal, in person at the institute's admissions office, or by registered mail. It is allowed to apply to five educational institutions at once, specifying up to five specialties and areas of study in each.
At the same time, some universities require not only to provide the results of the Unified State Exam, but also to undergo additional tests. For example, at RGGU, the competition lists include only those who have scored a set minimum on additional entrance tests. At the Higher School of Economics in the Journalism program, an applicant who receives less than 60 points for a creative exam is deprived of the opportunity to continue participating in the competition.
Open data from admission campaigns in recent years show that an internal exam often changes an applicant's position in the ranking. So, among the applicants to the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of Moscow State University, there were graduates with high USE scores but low DVI results. For example, a graduate who passed four Unified State Exams with 92, 90, 90 and 81 points and scored 45 points for the internal exam was eliminated from the competition.
It is because of such cases that it was proposed to change the accounting procedure for the Unified State Exam and additional entrance tests for admission to universities. The corresponding letter was sent to the Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov (Izvestia has it). The editorial board also contacted the agency with a request to confirm receipt and evaluate the initiative.
The essence of the initiative is to give applicants the right to choose the form of entrance examinations: either based on the results of the Unified State Exam or based on the results of internal university exams, but not simultaneously in two forms in the same subject. As follows from the appeal, this should reduce the burden on graduates, remove duplication of assessment procedures and make the competition more transparent.
"The current practice, in which an applicant must take both the Unified State Exam and an additional entrance test, creates unequal starting conditions," said Alexander Aksenenko, the author of the letter, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services. — Preparation for the DVI requires additional time and financial expenses: attending preparatory courses, purchasing specialized literature, and sometimes moving to the city where the university is located.
For applicants from remote regions and low-income families, such expenses can become a serious barrier.
Additional tests in subjects already passed on the Unified State Exam actually mean a re-examination of the same knowledge, the letter says. According to the author, this does not increase the objectivity of the selection, but only increases the administrative and psychological burden on graduates during the admission campaign.
— When a student gets 80-90 points on the Unified State Exam, prepares for the federal assessment system for years, and then does not pass the budget due to one additional exam, it looks like a second barrier that can undo the entire previous trajectory, - the author noted. — As a result, a strong applicant finds himself either on paid tuition or outside the chosen university.
Do I need to split the receipt
The proposal does not imply the abandonment of internal tests. We are talking about the transition to an understandable admission model — either the results of the Unified State Exam, or our own entrance exams as an independent selection mechanism. The simultaneous application of two procedures in one subject, in the author's opinion, creates an excessive burden and reduces the transparency of the competition.
Practical psychologist Tatiana Goldman believes that the existing scheme — "USE + DVI in the same subject" — creates the feeling among yesterday's students that admission to university is "an endless passage of filters."
— A child has been preparing for the Unified State Exam for years, gets high scores, and then an internal university exam can undo all his efforts.
Psychologically, this is perceived as a reversal of the path that has already been traveled: "I did everything that depended on me, but it was not enough." As a result, trust in the system is undermined and learned helplessness is developed in the system — a condition when a person ceases to believe that his own efforts affect the result.
Avoiding double—checking on the same subject is a step towards a more human-centered system: knowledge requirements remain high, but excessive barriers and "exam noise" are decreasing, the psychologist noted.
Anastasia Gorelkina, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC HC Siberian Business Union, believes that the right to choose the form of entrance examinations is a reasonable decision for the development of the country and its human resources potential.
—In conditions of a shortage of qualified specialists, it is extremely important that the rules of entry into the higher education system are clear and achievable for talented students from the regions, and not only for those who live near leading universities and can afford expensive courses under the DVI," she said. — For the state, this is a way not to lose capable children from low-income families, whose motivation and knowledge are high, but the resources for additional training are limited.
At the same time, it is important to preserve the right of universities to independently select applicants where the Unified State Exam does not allow them to assess the necessary skills, primarily in creative and specialized areas. The high dropout rate in such courses (up to 70-75%) shows that this tool really separates those who are ready for the profession from those who are only interested in it.
If the proposal is supported, several scenarios are likely, Anastasia Gorelkina believes. Some universities, especially regional ones, will completely switch to the USE selection. Large universities will probably keep internal exams in areas where special skills need to be tested, but will be forced to explain their necessity and format more clearly. In the future, this may make budget places more accessible to motivated students from different regions, without limiting the right of universities to their own selection.
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