The Moscow Center for Quality of Education (МЦКО) conducts diagnostic tests in Moscow schools to assess student knowledge and teaching quality. These tests, while not directly impacting final grades, play a significant role in the educational process.

МЦКО diagnostics are centralized tests designed to evaluate a student’s mastery of learning material. They serve as an independent form of knowledge control organized by an external body within the school setting. The tests are developed by МЦКО specialists in accordance with educational standards.

The purpose of the МЦКО is to give parents insights into their child’s understanding of the curriculum, highlight strengths and weaknesses for students before major exams, provide teachers with a tool to analyze teaching effectiveness, and enable schools to evaluate their performance and plan for specialized development.

The subjects included in the diagnostic vary depending on the student’s grade level and study focus. Tests are conducted according to a schedule, not across all subjects simultaneously. The specific subjects tested range from reading literacy in grade 2 to information security in grade 11.

Parents can access their child’s results on the “Moscow Electronic School” (MES) portal, viewing the diagnostic date, task completion percentage, class/school/city ranking, and knowledge level. Performance is rated on a scale from “unsatisfactory” to “excellent.”

While participation is formally not mandatory, schools generally integrate the МЦКО diagnostic into the educational process. Absences may require a retake, exemption, or a doctor’s certificate. The impact of МЦКО results on final grades is determined by each individual school. Retakes are generally not permitted, but individual applications for re-participation can be submitted, and teachers may use higher scores when assigning final grades.

Appeals can be filed for OGE/EGE format tests within two days of results publication, specifying tasks and reasons for disagreement. Consideration takes up to nine business days.

Despite its benefits, issues can arise with the МЦКО diagnostic, including a lack of clear regulation, conflicting documents, delayed results, and a need for schools to “improvise.” This can lead to a lack of transparency in enrollment decisions for specialized classes.