Changes in the exam occur every year, but most of them are not of fundamental importance. The order of tasks is changing, some of them become more complicated, some are simplified ... But the new criteria for assessing task No. 27 in the Russian language (essay on the text) also put forward fundamentally new requirements for the preparation of graduates. And the composition is, by the way, 24 out of 58 primary points, or 41 out of 100 test!
How have writing requirements changed? Can you write it yourself with the new criteria in mind? Understanding!
Arguments are now optional
Any mother whose child has graduated from high school in the last few years knows how important "literary argument" is in writing. If you have not yet been interested in this topic, let us briefly retell the essence of the problem: writing is the most difficult and “expensive” USE task for 11-graders in the Russian language. It is written according to a small passage of text, which is given right there, in the text of the task.
” The essay was evaluated according to a number of criteria, among which one of the main ones was the ability to confirm or refute the author's point of view on the problem, using the so-called "literary argument" - an example from fiction, journalistic or even popular science literature.
Although the texts that will be used in the USE remained a secret until the very last moment, the main topics are known in advance and have not changed for several years. Therefore, tutors and preparation courses for the Unified State Examination (and schools, what is there) offered schoolchildren to memorize examples from the “bank of arguments”: love - “Eugene Onegin”, man and nature - “Farewell to Matyora”, the role of art in life - “Letters about the good and the beautiful ”by Dmitry Likhachev ... As a result, the essays of graduates, written in the most honest way, sometimes resembled each other like two drops of water. Without delving into the intricacies of the problems of the text under discussion, they pulled on it memorized "arguments from the bank" like an owl on a globe. It turned out, to put it mildly, not very well.
We decided to get acquainted with the “banks of arguments” popular on the Internet and, frankly, were horrified by their straightforward primitiveness.
Problem: the search for the meaning of life in the modern world. In the story of I.A. Bunin "The Gentleman from San Francisco", the American millionaire served the "golden calf". The main character believed that the meaning of life lies in the accumulation of wealth. When the Master died, it turned out that true happiness passed him by.
Problem: the inner beauty of a person. Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince" The wise thoughts of the Little Prince can teach even an adult a lot. Our hero said: “Only the heart is vigilant. You can’t see the most important thing with your eyes.” And we can say without a doubt that he is right. True beauty is inside a person, in his soul, in his right deeds.
Problem: respect for nature. The hero of the poem N.A. Nekrasov "Grandfather Mazai and Hares" during the spring flood saves drowning hares, collects them in a boat, cures two sick ones. The forest is a home for him, and Grandfather Mazay takes care of those who live in it, protects them. Such an attitude is a lesson in love for nature, careful and reasonable love.
In 2019, the position regarding the composition is fundamentally changing. The emphasis shifts to understanding the text under discussion. In 2018, it was necessary to find a problem in the submitted text; comment on it, giving at least two examples from the text. Now we need to explain why these fragments were chosen and show the relationship between them.
” If earlier for this action three primary points were supposed, now - as many as five.
In 2018, their attitude to the problem had to be supported by at least two arguments, and one of them had to be taken from fiction, journalistic or scientific literature. Now it does not matter how exactly the graduate will confirm his point of view, the main thing is persuasiveness.
” Previously, you could get three points for arguing your opinion, but now - only 1.
This does not mean that a graduate cannot appeal to the authority of literary classics, it is just that now it is not necessary.
Without arguments - good or bad?
Strictly speaking, the Russian language and literature are different subjects. Literary argumentation, of course, demonstrated such an important virtue of a student as being well-read. But an exam in Russian should reveal completely different qualities: the ability to understand the text, isolate its essence, formulate a problem and maintain a dialogue.
” If you think sensibly, these are the skills that are mandatory for any citizen, no matter what professional path he chooses (after all, the results of an exam in Russian, unlike mathematics, are taken into account when entering any university, for any specialty). And whether the future dentist or heat engineer Likhachev read, or did not read, this, by and large, is not a matter of principle.
If an exam in Russian had, like an exam in mathematics, two levels - basic and profile, many "techies" would probably prefer to pass the base. But, since such an option was not offered, and each point for Russian upon admission was on the account, “banks of arguments” and catalogs of essays were born.
And now the situation has turned not 180 degrees, but, let's say, 90. At the heart of the essay is not erudition, but the accuracy of understanding the text and the persuasiveness of reasoning. Will the exam be easier? By no means! It is enough to study the methodological recommendations of the Federal Institute for Pedagogical Measurements (FIPI), prepared on the basis of an analysis of typical mistakes of USE participants in 2018, to understand: it was the comment on the main problem of the text that became a stumbling block for many graduates:
Statistics on the performance of the work as a whole and of individual tasks makes it possible to identify the main problems in the preparation of examinees in the Russian language. As in previous years, the sections of the course related to the formation of communicative competence remain insufficiently learned. Insufficiently developed skills of analytical work with the word and text, the lack of the necessary practice of analyzing linguistic phenomena also affect the quality of writing an essay-reasoning. The performance of the task with a detailed answer (26) demonstrated the most common errors associated with the information processing of the text and the presentation of one's own thoughts about what was read.
According to criterion K2 (commenting on the designated problem of the source text), only 47.5% of graduates received 3 points; 2 points 32%; 1 point 13.8%. The level of formation of the ability to conduct text analysis among graduates is still not high enough.
On the one hand, in essays, graduates substantiate the relevance of the problem, reveal its significance for the author of the text, and focus on textual details illustrating the problem. On the other hand, examinees often delve into their own reflections without relying on the source text or simply use it as a paraphrase. Many graduates do not consider it necessary to include two obligatory illustration examples in their essays, which are important for understanding the problem of the source text.
What should we ... write an essay!
Probably, many of our readers are now somewhat confused. Is it difficult to see the problem in the text? It seems to be quite easy, right? How about two supporting examples? And the relationship between them? Well, try your hand at the demo version of the Unified State Exam in the Russian language - 2019. An excerpt from the story "Scarecrow" by writer Nikolai Leskov will be used as a text for discussion there. We put the text under the spoiler.
Text from the demo version of the USE-2019
My father and the police chief were amazed that we had to spend the night in the house of Selivan, whom everyone in the neighborhood considered a sorcerer and robber, and who, as we thought, wanted to kill us and use our things and money ...
By the way, about money. At the mention of them, the aunt immediately exclaimed:
Oh my god! Where is my box?
Indeed, where is this box and the thousands lying in it? She, imagine that she was not! Yes, yes, she alone was not in the rooms between the things brought in, nor in the wagon - in a word, nowhere ... The casket, obviously, remained there, in the inn, and now - in the hands of Selivan ...
I'm jumping now, jumping there ... He must have already disappeared somewhere, but he won't leave me! - said the police officer. - Our happiness is that everyone knows that he is a thief, and everyone does not like him: no one will hide him ...
But as soon as the police officer girded himself with his saber, suddenly an unusual movement was heard in the hall between the people who were there, and through the threshold into the hall where we all were, breathing heavily, Selivan entered with aunt's casket in his hands.
Everyone jumped up from their seats and stopped in their tracks.
Forgotten, take it, - Selivan said dully.
He could not say anything more, because he was completely out of breath from the exorbitant rapid walk and, probably, from strong inner excitement.
He put the casket on the table, and, unbidden by anyone, he sat down on a chair and lowered his head and hands.
The box was in perfect condition. Auntie took the key from her neck, unlocked it, and exclaimed:
Everything, everything as it was!
Safely... - quietly said Selivan. - I kept running after you... I wanted to catch up... Forgive me for sitting in front of you... I suffocated.
His father approached him first, hugged him and kissed him on the head.
Selivan did not move.
Auntie took out two hundred-dollar bills from the box and began to give them to him.
Selivan continued to sit and watch, as if he did not understand anything.
Take what they give you,” said the police officer.
For what? No need!
For the fact that you honestly saved and brought the money you forgot.
But how? Should it be dishonest?
Well, you're... a good person... you didn't think to hide someone else's.
And he got up to go back to his defiled courtyard, but his father did not let him in: he took him to his office and locked himself there with a key, and then an hour later ordered the sledge to be harnessed and taken home.
A day later, this incident was known in the city and in the district, and two days later the father and aunt went to Kromy and, stopping at Selivan, drank tea in his hut and left his wife a warm fur coat. On the way back, they again called on him and brought him more gifts: tea, sugar and flour.
He took everything politely, but reluctantly, and said:
For what? Now, for three days now, everyone has begun to come to me... Income has gone... They cooked cabbage soup... They are not afraid of us, as they used to be afraid.
When I was taken to the boarding house after the holidays, I again had a parcel with Selivan, and I drank tea with him and kept looking at his face and thinking: “What a beautiful, kind face he has! Why did he seem like a scarecrow to me and others for so long?
This thought haunted me and did not leave me alone... After all, this is the same person who seemed so terrible to everyone, whom everyone considered a sorcerer and a villain. Why did he suddenly become so good and pleasant?
In the later years of my life, I became close to Selivan and had the good fortune to see him become a beloved and revered person by everyone.
If you could not formulate the problem, here are some tips for you, or rather, the correct answers from FIPI. So, the following problems are posed in the text (under the spoiler).
Problems of the text from the demo USE-2019
- The problem of rejection of a person by society.
- The problem of creating a reputation, forming an opinion about a person.
- The problem of manifestation of the inner beauty of a person.
- The problem of trust in a person.
- The issue of honesty.
- The problem of gratitude.
Well, how did you define the problem? Now you need to find two illustration examples from the text for it, explain the importance of each example and indicate the relationship between them. Now that you have demonstrated understanding of the problem, you need to formulate the position of the author (narrator) in relation to it. And now you can express your position in relation to the position of the author (this is so intricately). So you've all done it. How many initial points will you receive?
- Definition and formulation of the problem (one of those that FIPI specialists saw in the text) - 1 point.
A little, but without it, nowhere. If you make a mistake here, then everything that follows will also be wrong.
They gave two examples from the text illustrating the problem and showed the relationship between them - the most expensive part of the answer, 5 points.
That's all, you can get another 16 points for the essay for style, punctuation and spelling.
Good luck passing the exam to all graduates and ... their mothers!
Prepared by Irina Ilyina
In 2019 FIPI decided to change the rules of the game. Several years in a row USE in Russian simplified and simplified, and finally decided to complicate. Let's try to calmly figure out whether the current graduates are very unlucky.
1. The numbering of USE tasks in the Russian language has changed
Last year, a new task number 20 for lexical errors appeared. Now it has become the sixth, which is logical, because the fifth task is aimed at preventing lexical errors that arise due to the replacement of words with paronyms. Now tasks on the same topic are side by side. And this pleases, although we had to renumber the exercises and folders throughout the site for three days. Recall that the former twentieth task, now set to the sixth, concerns lexical incompatibility and pleonasms.
If you do not know how to complete the sixth task, watch the video article:
How to complete task number 6 in the exam in the Russian language
For teachers, we strongly recommend a short course by Evgenia Gorina "Lexical Mistakes".
2. There is a new task on syntax and punctuation - №21
This is a real holiday for teachers and a real ambush for lazy students. Since complex and quite interesting tasks in syntax disappeared from the exam, many guys began to neglect this section of the language. They put signs "by intuition", but did not plunge deeply into theory. To complete tasks related to the placement of punctuation marks, this was almost always enough. The new task 21, in addition to intuition, also tests knowledge. To correctly complete the twenty-first task, students must study almost the entire section in the system.
Here are the rules you need to know to complete task 21 in the Unified State Examination in Russian in 2019
Punctuation between subject and verbPunctuation marks in a simple compound sentence
Punctuation marks for separate definitions (including applications)
Punctuation marks in isolated circumstances
Punctuation marks for comparative turns
Punctuation marks with qualifying members of a sentence
Punctuation marks in sentences with words and constructions that are not grammatically related to the members of the sentence
Punctuation marks for direct speech, quoting
Punctuation marks in a compound sentence
Punctuation marks in a complex sentence
Punctuation marks in a complex sentence with different types of connection
Punctuation marks in a non-union complex sentence
Punctuation marks in a complex sentence with allied and non-union connection
Dash in simple and complex sentences
Colon in simple and complex sentences
Topics that have not been touched at all in recent years by the USE are underlined. The demo task demonstrates that you will have to learn the topic "Punctuations in the application." Formally, applications refer to separate definitions, which are devoted to a separate task of the Unified State Examination, but in reality, applications have not come across in KIMs for many years. That's up to this point.
In the demo task, you need to choose from 7 sentences those in which the dash is placed in accordance with the same punctuation rule. What can be done to complete the task correctly?
- Recall the difference between a dash and a hyphen.
- Parse every sentence that contains a dash.
- Based on the analysis, explain the setting of each dash.
- Find similar cases.
Take the test and see if you can do it so cleverly.
Test "Punctuation Analysis"
It is a pity that only 1 point is given for the correct answer in such a difficult task.
3. In 2019, two tasks for the microtext have changed
Exercise 1 made it easy to get 2 points. The task has not become more difficult, but now we easily get only 1 point.Per task 2 before, the score was simply given, it was the easiest test task. It is not very difficult even now, but you will have to prepare. And it would be desirable to learn official parts of speech, because now you do not need to select a word from the list, but choose it yourself according to a given criterion. For example, choose a suitable subordinating union or a particle of a certain category. How difficult the second task will be, we have yet to see, but for now we are learning parts of speech.
4. Changed the wording of task 9 (former 8)
It was:Define the word, in which the unstressed alternating vowel of the root is missing. Write out this word by inserting the missing letter:
m..cenat
see.
g..ristaya (area)
vzr..sti
comp..ent
It became:
Specify answer options, in which an unstressed alternating vowel of the root is missing in all words of the same row. Write down the answer numbers.
1) light .. mother, open .. rip (vegetables), note .. rhenium (sides)
2) to..sichki, lake..rhenium, g..roar
3) op .. fight, charge .. sli, prick .. sleep
4) ex..live
5) p..rila
It would seem that the task has become more difficult, since the number of words for analysis has tripled. But now you do not need to remember the rules and insert letters. It is enough to understand by what principle one should write the missing letter in each word. And additional words in each row only help to exclude incorrect answers. The most difficult thing was to learn a bunch of rules for vowel alternations in different roots and remember thousands of words with unverifiable vowels, and now you just need to characterize the roots. The only difficulty left in the task is the inclusion in the list of words with roots that look like alternating roots. For example, reconciliation of the parties (not mer/peace), boil vegetables (not creat/creature), stylistic (not stele/steel), etc.
Understand the meaning of each root!
This task has become easier, but please do not forget that you need to learn the rules not only to prepare for the test.
5. Task 10 (former 9) for prefixes is formulated differently
It was:Find a row in which the same letter is missing in both words. Write out these words by inserting the missing letter.
be..stuffy, and..scare
under..em, about..phenomenon
about .. warmed, s .. threw
under..took, n..ruled
about..tear, n..top
It became:
Specify answer options, in which the same letter is missing in all the words of the same row. Write down the answer numbers.
1) ex..form, ex..unpleasant, ex..follow
2) super..natural, with..capacity, two..tiered
3) p..nick, pr..grandfather, pos..yesterday
4) black..chur, and..blue-black, white..extreme
5) look..seek, without..initiative, over..exquisite
Here, although it is not necessary to insert letters now, students are unlikely to be able to complete the task without knowing the rules and without inserting letters. The number of correct answers is not set, which significantly complicates the task.
6. Changes in tasks 11 and 12 (former 10 and 11)
11 taskIt was:
Write out the word, in which at the checkpoint letter i is written.
shirt..chny
frost..c
thin..nky
nickel..vy
shameless..vy
It became:
Specify answer options, in which in both words of the same row skippedthe same letter. Write down the answer numbers.
1) big..nstvo, aluminum..out
2) checkered ..thy, (start) dreams ..
3) almonds..vy, seize..vat
4) try .. wat, knife .. vka
5) French.. cue, sailor.. cue
The task became more difficult. It was enough to say the words aloud and find the desired I or E, since native speakers clearly pronounce the letters in suffixes and most often hear the correct option. Similarly in 12 tasks. Now, for fidelity, you will have to learn the rules regarding suffixes and endings. And these rules, by the way, were added. Previously, words with O and Yo after hissing never came across. This is a difficult rule, which is often mistaken when writing and which has not previously been touched by the Unified State Examination in the Russian language. The same applies to the spelling of the suffix CK in adjectives and vowels at the end of adverbs. An unknown number of correct options complicates tasks 11 and 12, however, a larger number of words in a row again helps to cut off incorrect answers.
In general, these tasks have become more difficult.
In the test part, you can score the same points as last year, but they will be given more blood with great efforts. We consider: we lose a point on a simple task No. 1, it is more difficult to get a point for tasks No. 2, 10, 11, 12. It is easier to complete task 9. A new difficult task has appeared 21. If you do not prepare seriously for the test part, only on it you can lose about 4-6 primary points (plus what you otherwise could lose by completing last year's test).
We invite you to our one-year preparation course for the test part of the exam! Of course, we have taken into account all the changes this year.
And the sensation of this August is a change in the criteria for evaluating an essay in the Unified State Examination!
7. New criteria for evaluating an essay in the USE in the Russian language (task 27)
This has never happened before and here it is...Teachers who managed to work before the era of the Unified State Examination and were the first to face the need preparation for the exam essay, remember that at first the essay involved the analysis of the text, and the requirement to look for the problem posed by the author and present their arguments appeared later. Now we are returning to the origins, to the analysis of the text. Although this analysis is no longer linguistic, as it used to be.
The changes in task 27 were most clearly shown in the methodological recommendations for teachers by I. Tsybulko:
So, now it is enough to agree or disagree with the author, and there is no need to bring arguments to someone else who thinks the same way. But the text should be deeply analyzed, and not just grab a frequently occurring abstract noun and call it a problem.
We are pleased with these changes for two reasons. 1. The final essay and the USE essay no longer duplicate each other. 2. In recent years, students still stupidly copied arguments from the Internet. And now you have to analyze the given text right on the exam. And it requires a completely different level of preparation.
Will students read less when preparing for an essay in the exam?
We quote here the mentioned manual. Here are the words to pay special attention to:
“I would like to recall the words of L.S. Vygotsky: “an effective and complete understanding of someone else’s thought becomes possible only when we reveal its effective, effective-volitional background.”
Tasks change periodically, the criteria for checking work, the rules for organizing the exam, etc. are specified. One of the mandatory USE for every graduate is the USE in the Russian language. One of the tasks of this exam is an essay, the criteria for checking which will change somewhat next year. What are the new requirements for writing during the Unified State Examination in the Russian language in 2019, what is clear about the new requirements for the demo version of the exam in the subject.
HOW WILL THE ESSAY BE CHECKED IN THE USE IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE UNDER THE NEW REQUIREMENTS
The main goal of the changes that have been introduced is that an essay in the Unified State Examination in the Russian language should be the result of the graduate's own work and own reasoning, and not a text written according to templates.
In recent years, 11th graders have been actively earning extra points for their essay using so-called argument banks. Such banks contained arguments from the literature, which could be prepared in advance and used during the composition of those that are more or less relevant.
Graduates wrote off ready-made arguments, received guaranteed points, and the compositions were stereotyped, uninteresting works.
Of course, arguments based on reading and life experience are still important today. Your attitude to the position of the author of the text must be justified, including examples from the literature. But you won't be able to earn a lot of points.
Now, instead of 3 points, you can get only 1 point for arguments. But the author's comment "has risen in price". Now, instead of the maximum 3 points for commenting, you can earn up to 5 points in the Unified State Examination in the Russian language.
In order to earn these five points, the essay must:
- give your own comment on the formulated problem,
- Illustrate the idea with two examples from the proposed text,
- reveal the meaning of these illustrations,
- explain what semantic connection exists between these examples.
In order to do this work and earn high scores for the essay for the Unified State Examination in the Russian language, in 2019 graduates will need to work hard. Practice shows that in previous years, commenting was reduced to a retelling of the text, which is fundamentally wrong. This cannot be learned by cramming and coaching; schoolchildren need to be able to think and analyze. So high scores for writing will go only to those who learn how to do it.
NEW JUDGING CRITERIA
Each assignment is assessed individually. In total, 12 points are provided, which are divided into 3 blocks. The first one
devoted to the presentation of the topic, the second - to speech design (how coherently and logically the essay is composed), the third - to assess literacy.
Changes in 2019 affected the evaluation criteria for the first block.
The obligatory argumentation of their thoughts, although they were removed from the assignment, but still, being able to supplement the work with examples from other works, the graduate can increase the grade for K4.
At the same time, schoolchildren will not be happy about the increase in points in the essay criteria in paragraph K2, because the search for arguments is no more difficult than submitting your own comments. According to statistics, less than half of the examinees give comments. Theoretically, the points that can be obtained for points K2 and K4 have increased (only 6), but in fact there is no probability that they will put the maximum for K2.
But the changes in 2019 have their upsides. Now graduation essays will be really creative, and not template works with pre-prepared arguments from literature.
HOW TO WRITE A GOOD ESSAY
If everything is quite simple with block 3 and the points received for it will depend on how well the graduate knows the rules of the Russian language, then you need to prepare for blocks 1 and 2.
The simplest thing is to write an essay on a text that contains a rhetorical question, this will be the problem posed by the author. The second clue is reasoning. Often the problem is identified in the first or last sentences.
Changes in the Unified State Examination 2019 - a certificate from FIPI
Information about changes in KIM USE 2019
In KIM for all academic subjects, additional reminder instructions have been introduced for USE participants on checking the records of answers on forms No. 1 and No. 2 under the corresponding task numbers.
All changes in the KIM USE are not of a fundamental nature. For most subjects, the wording of assignments is being clarified and the system for assessing assignments is being improved to increase the differentiating ability of the examination work.
Table of changes in KIM USE 2019 from the official website of FIPI
| Subject | Changes in KIM USE 2019 |
| Mathematics Geography Physics Chemistry Informatics and ICT | No changes |
| Russian language | The number of tasks in the examination paper has been increased from 26 to 27 due to the introduction of a new task (21), which tests the ability to conduct punctuation analysis of the text. The format of tasks 2, 9–12 has been changed. The range of tested spelling and punctuation skills has been expanded. The level of difficulty of individual tasks has been clarified. The wording of task 27 with a detailed answer has been clarified. The criteria for assessing task 27 have been clarified. |
| Biology | The task model in line 2 has been changed (instead of a two-point multiple-choice task, a one-point task for working with a table has been proposed). The maximum primary score for completing the entire job has been reduced from 59 to 58. |
| Foreign languages | There are no changes in the structure and content of KIM. The criteria for evaluating the performance of task 40 of the “Writing” section in the written part of the exam were clarified, as well as the wording of task 40, in which the exam participant is offered a choice of two topics of a detailed written statement with elements of reasoning “My opinion” |
| Literature | The criteria for evaluating the performance of tasks with a detailed answer have been clarified: corrections have been made to the evaluation of tasks 8 and 15 (the wording of criterion 1 with a description of the requirements for an answer for 2 points, the rules for calculating actual errors in criterion 2), tasks 9 and 16 (in criteria 1 and 2, possible variants of flaws in the answer), tasks 17.1–17.4 (counting logical errors was added to criterion 4). |
| Social science | The wording of task 25 has been detailed and the scoring system has been redesigned. The maximum score for completing task 25 has been increased from 3 to 4. The wording of tasks 28, 29 has been detailed, and their scoring systems have been improved. The maximum primary score for completing the entire job has been increased from 64 to 65. |
| Story | There are no changes in the structure and content of KIM. In task 21, an additional condition was added that determines the requirement for formatting the answer. Accordingly, the criteria for assessing task 21 have been supplemented. |
The Unified State Examination (USE) has become the only form of final exams for schools for quite a long time - in 2009, and for the first time it was tested at the turn of the millennium. Adjustments are constantly being made to the USE rules, making schoolchildren and their parents worry every year.
It has been known for a long time that the USE system will undergo major changes. Dmitry Livanov, the former head of the Ministry of Education, was the first to announce this. Olga Vasilyeva, the new head of the department, also said in her first interviews that the course of transformation would be supported. The reform will continue for several years, and the USE 2018 will be no exception.
The first thing that worries all schoolchildren: both those who are preparing for graduation and those who are just starting their studies, is the question “Will the USE be canceled in 2018?”. Both the current minister of education and the previous one answered it: too much effort has been invested in the system of the state exam itself to talk about its abolition now. The USE proved to be an excellent system for testing the knowledge of graduates, giving objective and accurate assessments of the level of knowledge of students.
Therefore, in the present tense, we can only talk about the further reform of the USE, about its transformations and changes. If the quantity and quality of the latter cause heated discussions, then there will definitely not be abolition of the Unified State Examination in 2018, as well as in subsequent years.
Compulsory subjects of the USE 2018
How many subjects to take for the exam 2018? This question is of great concern to today's high school students. And there are reasons for such concern, or, more correctly, there were. The fact is that in an interview, the previous Minister of Education, Dmitry Litvinov, said that by 2018 the number of subjects in the Unified State Examination will increase to six. In 2017, he said, a third was to be added to the number of mandatory exams, and in 2018, a fourth plus two elective exams, for a total of six. But with the coming to power of a new minister, Olga Vasilyeva, the strategy for reforming the USE has also changed.
The fact that a third should be added to the two compulsory subjects that exist today has been talked about for quite some time - the first rumors appeared in 2014. However, no action has been taken in this regard so far. And even at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, graduates will still take three exams - two mandatory and one optional.
However, in 2018, that is, at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, the third mandatory exam is likely to increase. This was said back in 2015, and officials from the Ministry of Education and Science confirm this. It remains only to decide which subject will be included in the top three required.
Today, history is considered the favorite among all other school disciplines. Even the president spoke in favor of the subject, noting that today schoolchildren's knowledge of their native history leaves much to be desired. As the minister noted, making the discipline one of those for which compulsory examinations are taken will increase interest in science and force both students and teachers to pay more attention to the subject. Whether this is so, time will tell.
In second place in popularity is social studies. According to FIPI statistics, schoolchildren choose this subject more often than others - about a third of students take social studies as an elective exam. However, after the reform, the exam became somewhat more difficult, and therefore it is no longer possible to argue that social science is a simple subject. 
In third place is physics. Fans of engineering universities are in favor of this subject. Focusing on the exact sciences has long been haunting the minds of education officials, but for many schoolchildren, physics turns out to be too complex and difficult to study as a subject. Given this, it is impossible to argue that the discipline will be included in the number of mandatory ones.
Today, it is impossible to say with accuracy which compulsory subjects are included in the USE 2018. The exact number and name of exams will be known closer to the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, that is, until September 2017. So far, only one thing is firmly known - the Russian language and mathematics will have to be passed in any case.
Latest news
Upon taking office, the new Minister of Education gave several lengthy interviews at once, where a lot of attention was paid to the issues of the Unified State Examination. Vasilyeva confirmed that the course towards transforming the Unified State Examination, taken under the previous leader, is still relevant. However, the minister is a fan of gradual changes, smooth reforms, and not abrupt innovations. In addition, Vasilyeva said that before introducing any global changes in the exam, they will be brought to the attention of the public. Thus, it is worth hoping that the USE structure will not undergo large-scale transformations in 2018. However, the planned changes will still take place.
Speaking about the changes, first of all, the reform of the Unified State Examination in Literature is meant. The new exam model has already been announced by FIPI, and you can get acquainted with the demo version of KIM on the website of the department. So, what will the Unified State Examination in Literature bring in 2018, will schoolchildren write an essay, and how difficult will the exam be?
Questions with short answers will be excluded. Some time ago literature lost its test part; questions with a choice of one correct answer out of four were replaced with questions with short answers. This part is aimed at testing terminology - examiners must ensure that students are familiar with all the terms used in the discipline. However, the new minister said that from 2018 literature will become a more creative subject, and therefore there is no need for a special “terminological” part.
Simplification of the task for the analysis of the work. The second type of task is a kind of mini-essay, when the text presented in the KIM had to be compared with two others, which the student must remember on his own. From 2018, students will only need to provide one text for analysis.
Increasing the number of topics for essays. Until 2018, students were offered only three topics to choose from to write an essay. After the reform, the number of topics will increase to four or even five.
Increasing the volume of the essay. Today, the minimum length of an essay is 200 words. From 2018, its length should be at least 250 words.
Essay grades. Today, as you know, there are only two criteria for an examination essay - “passed” or “not passed”. In 2018, it is planned to introduce a rating scale for this block of the exam - now the essay will be evaluated according to a five-point system familiar to schoolchildren.
The new USE model in literature is currently being tested in 44 regions, and if the result is satisfactory, it will become the main one in 2018. In August, all project documents will be made publicly available on the FIPI website and, within a few months, they will be publicly discussed.
USE in a foreign language
The Ministry of Education decided that a foreign language in 2018 will still not be included in the list of compulsory subjects. Moreover, discussions on this subject are very fierce, as everyone understands how important a foreign language is for building a career.
As a result, to date, it has been decided that a foreign language will become a mandatory exam only at the USE 2022.
In the meantime, those 11th graders who want to be certified according to it choose a foreign one as an additional exam.
For the USE 2018, the choice of languages will be as follows:
- English;
- Deutsch;
- French;
- Spanish;
- Chinese.
The Chinese language entered the program after trial exams were successfully held in Amur schools in 2016.
USE 2018 in Crimea and Sevastopol
It is already known for sure that the USE 2018 in Crimea and Sevastopol will be voluntary. Moreover, this is the last year of such preferences.
School graduates of the peninsula can choose between passing the Unified State Examination and the classical final and entrance exams to universities.
Meanwhile, statistics show that last year in Sevastopol 84% of graduates chose the Unified State Examination, and, in general, in Crimea, the figure is much lower - 34%.
Results
There will be changes in the Unified State Examination in 2018 - Vasilyeva herself and officials of various departments in charge of this issue speak about this. However, it is too early to talk about what exactly these changes will be - accurate information will appear only in the second half of 2017.
