Russians may be allowed to choose between the Unified State Exam and internal exams when applying to universities.

      In the State Duma, an initiative was proposed to grant applicants the right to independently choose how to confirm their knowledge in specialized subjects — either through the results of the Unified State Exam (USE) or through internal entrance examinations of the university. A corresponding appeal has been sent to the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Sergey Kravtsov. The author of the initiative, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services, Alexander Aksenko, believes that the current system creates additional pressure for graduates. Currently, when applying to some universities, applicants have to take not only the USE but also additional entrance exams in the same subjects. According to the deputy, this leads to duplication in knowledge assessment, increases stress during the admissions campaign, and requires additional expenses for preparation. It is particularly difficult, as noted in the appeal, for graduates from small towns and low-income families, who often have to pay for preparatory courses, buy specialized literature, or travel to another city to take exams. It is proposed to establish the option of choice: either to enroll based on the USE results or to pass the university's internal exams, but not to take both exams simultaneously in the same subject, as reported by Vedomosti. The authors of the initiative believe that this approach will make the competition more transparent, reduce the administrative and psychological burden on graduates, and ensure more equal conditions for applicants.