Foreign children will be tested for Russian when entering schools
The difficulty of the test will depend on the age and retaking it will be possible only after three months.
From April 1, 2025, children of foreign citizens will have to undergo obligatory testing for knowledge of the Russian language. The procedure for this testing is available on the official website of legal acts in Russian.
The order of the Ministry of Education establishes two levels of knowledge of the Russian language – sufficient and insufficient for mastering the school curriculum.
What questions will be on the test?
It all depends on the grade level the schoolchild is entering. With each subsequent grade, the skills (listening, speaking, vocabulary, reading and writing) will become more complex.
For example, in first grade, the child will need to name objects depicted in drawings. They should be able to hear sentences of 5-6 words and repeat them and understand a simple dialog on everyday topics.
In the second grade, the child will have to demonstrate reading and writing skills. It will be necessary not only to describe pictures, but also to know the alphabet, the correct stress and to be able to generalize (for example, school supplies, products, professions).
In fifth grade, the child should be able to understand a 75-80 word fiction text and be able to answer questions about it both orally and in writing.
In the 11th grade, the tasks may include analyzing a writer's quote (for example, to explain your understanding of Anton Chekhov's phrase: “Everything must be beautiful in a man: his face, clothes, soul, and thoughts.”), listening to a 200-250-word text and answering questions about it, writing an essay and so on.
Examples of tasks have been published by the Federal Institute for Pedagogical Measurements (FIPI).
How will the testing be conducted?
The exams will be oral and written for everyone except first graders – for them it is only oral. Video and audio recordings will be made at the school. According to the document, testing will last no more than 80 minutes. Each child will have their own workplace. Of course, no gadgets and prompts can not be used.
As follows from the explanation of the Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science, a child needs to score at least 3 points, which corresponds to the mark ‘satisfactory’.
The result of the test will be released within three working days.
The decision is made by a commission (at least three people from among the teaching staff) and if the child or his parents do not agree with it, an appeal can be filed.
If the child does not pass this exam, then admission to the school will be denied. The test can be retaken (already with other variants of questions) after three months and parents will be offered to send their child for additional training in Russian (for a fee).
