June 14, Minsk /BELTA/. The main stage of the admission campaign – centralized testing – begins in Belarus on June 14. Nikolai Feskov, Director of the Republican Institute for Knowledge Control (RIKZ) of the Ministry of Education, told a BELTA correspondent about the procedure for conducting the CT.
All applicants, especially those from out of town, are advised to arrive at the testing point in advance – at least 30 minutes before the start. Tests in all subjects on all days will begin simultaneously – at 11:00 AM.
Nikolai Feskov once again warned CT participants that the use of various communication devices during the tests is strictly prohibited. Applicants who violate this requirement will leave the аудитория and be deprived of the opportunity to take the tests. You must have your admission ticket, identification document, a pen (gel or capillary) with black ink, and a calculator (for the centralized testing in chemistry and physics) that cannot be used for receiving, storing, or transmitting information. Entry into the buildings where the test trials are conducted will be strictly prohibited for everyone except commission members and applicants.
This year, the tradition of delivering CT materials to testing points by courier service will be maintained. Nikolai Feskov emphasized: "All materials (answer sheets, envelopes, and assignments) prepared by RIKZ staff will be delivered to regional testing points using the courier service, and in the same way, applicants' answers will be returned to the institute for verification." The Director of RIKZ also added that this gives confidence that all materials will be delivered safely and securely.
The first test (in Belarusian language) will be held on June 14. On June 15, applicants will take Russian language, on June 17 – biology, on June 19 – mathematics, on June 21 – social studies, on June 24 – chemistry, on June 25 – world history of the latest period, on June 22 – physics, on June 23 – history of Belarus, on June 27 – foreign languages, on June 28 – geography.
117,768 people registered to participate in the CT, which is 23,787 fewer people than in 2012.
Applicants to higher education institutions must pass the CT in three subjects (with the exception of entrance examinations in "Literature (Russian, Belarusian)", "Creativity", "Physical Culture", the format of which is determined by the admission committee of the higher education institution). These are tests in Belarusian or Russian (at the applicant's choice) and in two subjects in accordance with the profile (specialisation) of the chosen field. When applying to secondary vocational education institutions, tests in two subjects are required.
The only change this year is aimed at excluding applicants with a low level of preparation from the competition for higher education. By the Resolution of the Ministry of Education of February 20, 2013 No. 8, a minimum test score has been established, below which a mark in 2013 will not be considered satisfactory. To be eligible to submit documents to a higher education institution, applicants must score a minimum of 10 points in "Russian Language" or "Belarusian Language"; 15 points in "Mathematics", "Physics", "Chemistry", "Biology"; 20 points in "History of Belarus", "World History of Recent Times", "Social Studies", "Geography", "Foreign Languages (English, German, French, Spanish)". For persons applying to secondary vocational education institutions, the minimum test score for all subjects, below which a mark is considered satisfactory, is set at 1 point.
Applicants who write obscene words on the centralised testing answer sheets will not receive CT certificates and will not be able to continue participating in the admission campaign. The use of examination materials for working notes is also prohibited. Clean paper is issued in sufficient quantities by the organisers at the testing sites for rough notes. Double or triple patronymics, surnames, and given names must be recorded in strict accordance with the identity document.
Information on CT results can be obtained at the testing site (lists on notice boards, on the website of the educational institution where the testing will take place), as well as on the RIKZ website. Additionally, an SMS query service is available. -0-