Head of Rosobrnadzor: Starting in 2028, ninth graders will begin taking an oral exam in history.

      The preparation and conduct of the main periods of the Unified State Exam (USE) and the Basic State Exam (BSE) in 2026 became the topic of discussion during the meeting of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, with the head of Rosobrnadzor, Anzor Muzaev. The Chairman of the Government inquired about the readiness of the regions for conducting the USE. Anzor Muzaev reported that over 747,000 people have registered to participate in the USE this year, of which over 663,000 are graduates of the current year. More than 6,000 examination points will be involved in conducting the exams. "For us, safety during the exams and organizing conditions so that nothing distracts the students from taking the exam, allowing them to pass it successfully, is a priority," noted the head of Rosobrnadzor. He mentioned that by the order of the President, starting this academic year, exams will begin on June 1, and the exam schedule is synchronized with the end of the academic year, allowing graduates to systematically complete the school year and schools to prepare for the examination campaign. For the third consecutive year, additional dates for retaking one of the subjects of the graduate's choice have been included in the USE schedule to improve results. In 2026, these are July 8 and 9. "Understanding the importance and responsibility, the Ministry of Education, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the National Guard, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Rosobrnadzor, conducted anti-terrorist exercises in all schools of the Russian Federation on April 21-22. They allowed us to work out a number of threat models and provided methodological recommendations to all schools in our country in case of any emergency situations," Anzor Muzaev reported. He also thanked the Government for extending the special conditions for graduates from reunited subjects and border territories for taking the USE this academic year, which allows them to receive a certificate based on the results of intermediate certification. Anzor Muzaev reported on the implementation of the Chairman of the Government's instruction to organize an opportunity for all willing graduates to take trial exams that closely resemble real conditions. "This procedure was carried out in all subjects. Speaking about 11th-grade graduates, 600,000 schoolchildren participated in this procedure, and in 9th grades – 1.5 million," he said. Mikhail Mishustin also proposed organizing trial exams for interested 10th graders. "I would ask you to monitor how the USE is conducted in Russian subjects. They need both the necessary methodological assistance and organizational support," Mikhail Mishustin instructed. Anzor Muzaev also spoke about preparations for the introduction of a mandatory oral exam in history for 9th-grade graduates starting in 2028, which will become another necessary condition for admission to the state final certification. "This is an important subject. Our subordinate institution – the Federal Institute for Pedagogical Measurements – has already begun work on the exam conduct model. The exam will be discussed primarily with teachers and the expert community. At the final stage, of course, we will conduct testing and public discussion. And in 2028, the subject 'History' will be conducted in oral format," reported the head of Rosobrnadzor. This year, the experiment to expand access to secondary vocational education will also continue, where 9th graders planning to continue their studies in vocational education organizations can take only the mandatory subjects of the BSE. In 2025, three subjects participated: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Lipetsk region. This year, another 9 subjects of the Russian Federation joined this project. "It is important to ensure feedback with Russian subjects. Exams are not an easy matter. This is a test for students, for parents, for teachers. We need to make sure that such procedures do not cause unnecessary anxiety," said Mikhail Mishustin. According to Rosobrnadzor materials.