According to Aida Balaeva, the urgent changes in the UNT are not just another reform, but a transition to a qualitatively new stage, where the key role is played by improving the test selection system, including national testing.
— Over many years of successful practice, the UNT system has proven its worth as a tool for ensuring transparency, accessibility and uniform rules for admission to universities. However, time dictates its conditions. There is a transformation in educational trends, in the labor market, in competencies and requirements. We must accept and correct existing shortcomings. In particular, taking the UNT multiple times does not fully solve the problem of quality selection of applicants. Moreover, today universities are limited in their rights to independently select talent – first of all, this applies to pedagogical universities, drivers of human capital development, said Aida Balaeva in her video message.
In this regard, according to Balaeva, there is a need to take a number of measures.
– First. When selecting applicants to pedagogical universities, it is advisable to use a hybrid form of assessment using both a testing system and special exams. At the same time, the main emphasis should be placed not only on subject knowledge, but also include an assessment of thinking, analytical abilities, and readiness to learn. Starting next year, along with the UNT results, when applying to pedagogical specialties, the results of oral exams will be taken into account, the main criterion of which will be the assessment of the applicant’s critical thinking and communication skills. A special place in this process will be given to new test tasks of the Admissions Insight Test, which is currently being developed jointly with international experts,” Balaeva said.
The second thing that the testing system needs, according to Balaeva, is the transformation of the UNT as a whole with the approval of the rules for a one-time test as an objective and final assessment for participation in the grant competition.
— At the same time, a system of trial testing is maintained for self-assessment of knowledge and timely adjustment of training methods. Third. We must abandon the system of conditional admission to universities for preparatory programs – Foundation. Practice shows that about 50-60 percent of conditionally admitted students cannot pass the minimum threshold during the academic year. A meaningful choice of a future profession by applicants is extremely important here. I would like to note once again that the transformation of UNT is not a rejection of the system. This is a step towards a more accurate, deep and fair selection of talents,” Balaeva concluded.
It was previously reported when acceptance of applications will begin for the main UNT-2026. It also became known that students from foreign universities will be required to take the UNT when transferred to Kazakhstan.
