Unified national testing: pathway to higher education

Abstract

The article is devoted to the discussion of entrance exams as a means of assessing the knowledge and abilities of applicants for admission to universities. The purpose of the article is to evaluate the effectiveness of the unified national testing. The article analyzes the main stages and features of the system of entrance examinations to higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan. Various aspects of entrance exams are considered, including their goals, formats and content. The authors discuss the disadvantages and advantages, opportunities and ways to improve the organization of unified national testing. The comparative characteristics of foreign systems of entrance examinations are presented. The main directions of reforming the system of entrance examinations are identified, possible ways of solving the identified problems in the era of turbulence are proposed. Based on numerous studies, the authors note that entrance exams can be a decisive factor in university admission, since they allow an objective assessment of the academic abilities and potential of applicants. At the same time, it is noted that entrance exams may not reflect the true abilities and potential of students. The authors conclude that the unified national testing is an important tool in the selection of students, but there is a need to constantly improve the formats and methods of its implementation in order to ensure a more fair and reliable selection of applicants.