Standardized nationwide testing commences in Kazakhstan
The Unified National Testing (UNT), the main exam for high school graduates in Kazakhstan, has commenced nationwide, with the UNT in Almaty set to take place from January 20 to February 5, 2023.
Jandos Kumganbayev, a representative of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MoES RK), has announced that the UNT in Almaty will be hosted by five universities. However, the exact five hosting institutions for this year cannot be confirmed from the search results provided. Prominent universities in Almaty involved in major educational activities, such as Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakh-British Technical University, German-Kazakh University, and Kazakh National Technical University (KAZNTU) Almaty, are likely candidates.
Each session of the UNT in Almaty will last for 4 hours, as previously, and will occur in 15 sessions. Due to the pandemic, only fewer than 200 students can take the UNT at a time during each session, with social distancing of at least two meters being maintained. The number of participants per classroom for the UNT in Almaty has been reduced by 50%, meaning that approximately 20 students will sit in one room for the UNT, as opposed to the previous limit of 100-120 students.
In addition to the changes in seating arrangements and session numbers, the UNT has undergone some modifications to its question structure. Five questions on Kazakh history and mathematical literacy have been removed, while five new questions on specialized subjects have been added. This year's UNT will have a maximum score of 140.
Nurseit Kopshekbaeva, an 11th-grade student, shared that if she scores high, she could qualify for a scholarship. The UNT is crucial for students like Nurseit, as it determines their chances of gaining admission to universities across the country.
The UNT is taking place across 143 testing centers, with the exam continuing until February 5, 2023, in Almaty. Despite the changes, the UNT remains a significant milestone for high school graduates in Kazakhstan, offering opportunities for scholarships and university placements.
