Admission to universities under new rules: college graduates will be able to avoid the Unified State Exam, but not all

      The Russian State Duma has approved a law clarifying the rules for admission to higher education institutions for graduates of secondary vocational education (SPE), according to the official website of the parliament. According to the new regulations, applicants who have graduated from colleges or technical schools will be able to enroll in a university based on the results of internal exams, without taking the Unified State Exam — but only if the direction of study at the university coincides with the previously obtained specialty.

      If a graduate decides to change their profile and choose another field of study, they will have to go through the exam.

      Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, said that the new approach would help young people become more aware of their choice of profession. He stressed the importance of career guidance during school years, so that students understand in advance in which direction they want to develop.

      "We must try our best to ensure that the child chooses the right path at school," Volodin said.

      According to him, graduates of vocational schools make up 41% of all university applicants, and one in four of them continues their studies outside the college profile. According to the parliamentarian, this reduces the quality of higher education.