Unified State Exam

The Unified State Exam (Russian: Единый государственный экзамен, ЕГЭ, Yedinyy gosudarstvennyy ekzamen, YeGE) is a series of mandatory, centralized examinations conducted across the Russian Federation in secondary educational institutions, such as schools, lyceums, and gymnasiums. It serves as a form of State Final Certification (GIA) for educational programs of secondary general education. The USE simultaneously acts as both a school graduation examination and an entrance examination for higher education institutions, ensuring that students meet standardized educational requirements. The USE in Russian language and mathematics is obligatory; that means that every student must achieve the necessary results in these subjects to enter any Russian university or obtain a high school diploma.

Prior to 2013 it also served as an entrance examination for secondary vocational education institutions (sredniye spetsial’nyye uchebnyye zavedeniya, or SSUZy). However, a new education law annulled this provision. The exam employs standardized tasks and unified evaluation methods across Russia. Since 2009, the USE has been the only form of high school graduation exam and the primary form of university entrance exam. Students are allowed to retake the USE in subsequent years if necessary, providing them with additional opportunities to improve their scores and qualifications.