Approximately 18,500 Russian eleventh-graders participated in the Unified State Exam (EGE) in foreign languages on June 5th, with the written portion of the exam administered today. The oral part of the exam is scheduled for June 10-11.
The majority of students, specifically 18,500, opted to take the English language exam. Smaller numbers of students chose other languages: 143 took French, 103 took German, 105 took Spanish, and 57 took Chinese.
The written section of the EGE in foreign languages has a duration of 3 hours and 10 minutes. It includes tasks testing grammar, vocabulary, essay writing, and letter composition. The oral section involves reading aloud, comparing questions, answering questions, and comparing two photographs.
The minimum passing score for university admission is 30 points, and results are expected to be released by June 24th.
Following the exam, students shared their experiences. While some found the written portion manageable, others encountered challenging tasks. Nastya noted that the actual exam was easier than the practice tests she had taken, particularly the letter and essay components, though she found some tasks in the first part required careful thought. Roman identified tasks 30-36, which involved inserting words into text, as the most difficult, similar to those in practice tests. Matvey, who did not prepare extensively, expressed confidence in achieving at least 60 points.
Anastasia, who prepared intensively for a year, felt that even that was not enough time to achieve the maximum score. She found task 10, which involved matching headings, challenging but felt that the rest of the exam was comparable to practice tests. She hopes to score at least 70 points to secure her university admission. Lora, aiming for a perfect score, prepared extensively, including practicing communication with foreigners, and found no significant difficulties except for a few moments in the reading section. Ulyana, who has studied English since the age of six, felt well-prepared and described the exam as adequate, requiring thought without being overwhelming.
Alexandra, however, found some tasks quite difficult and noted that exams in general have become more challenging in recent years. Despite studying English since the 2nd grade, she acknowledged making one mistake and hopes her efforts will be rewarded. Her friend, who took the history exam, found that exam particularly difficult but managed to score 78 points. She also took specialized mathematics, which she described as a challenge for many students. Other students described the exam as “quite easy” while some indicated that the “option was difficult, but we hope for good scores.”