What year was the first exam

In the early 2000s, a large-scale education reform began in Russia. It implied the introduction of new ways to test students' knowledge, as well as the division into undergraduate and graduate studies in higher education.

Education reform

The reform was carried out under the leadership of Vladimir Filippov. From 1997 to 2004, he was at the head of the Ministry of Education. Already in 1997, testing began on a new school student knowledge assessment system. Students of some schools passed the USE prototype on a voluntary basis. The unified state exam was supposed to be the salvation from corruption and bribery, which flourished in schools and universities. It was decided to introduce test tasks that the machine was processing. The five-point grading system was already not so effective. As planned by the government, the exam was to make higher education accessible for students from remote regions.

In 1999, the Federal Testing Center was established in Russia. The task of its employees was to develop a testing system, as well as monitor the quality of knowledge obtained in educational institutions throughout the country. Under the leadership of the director of the center, intensive work began on the formation of the idea and methodology of the exam.