Around $14 million may be collected from applicants during entrance exams – State Testing Center

On February 13, a press conference was held with participation of the State Testing Center and the mass media to discuss the draft resolution “On additional measures to improve the system of admission to higher education institutions through testing” was held at the Agency for Information and Public Relations under the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 
 
In accordance with the draft resolution, a procedure for payment of one minimum monthly wage for entrants, who have graduated from the educational institutions in the previous year and before that period, to take part in the test has been proposed. 
 
For reference, in 2018-2019, 679,979 applicants have applied for 82,900 seats of higher education institutions. 597,079 applicants failed entrance exams. 
 
At present, the MMW in Uzbekistan is 202,730 soums. In this case, a total of 121 billion soums (14 million 240 thousand USD) can be collected from entrants applying for higher education institutions for the second time or more attempts. Total contingent of entrants is 1 million 300 thousand people. Of these, more than 80,000 students can be enrolled, still 247,3 billion soums ($29 million) will be accumulated from the entrants who have not been enrolled in the general contingent.  
 
According to the project, funds accumulated from the proceeds of entrance exams will be directed to the rental fees of buildings, installation of large air conditioners, personal identification and surveillance cameras and equipping monitors for parents, as well as supplying applicants with drinking water and pens. 

 
Kun.uz reporter asked the Director of the State Testing Center Majid Karimov a question about transparency of the proposal and open estimate. 
 
The director of the State Testing Center commented on the case as below: 

“For many years, we have been strengthening material-technical basis at the expense of off-budgetary funds and sponsors. 
 
Control over the collection of entrant fees is monitored by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Finance. The State Testing Center's website regularly announces on exploitation of the accumulated funds. 
 
Last year, 12 billion soums were spent for the installation of information and communication equipment. Payments for communication lines are also costly. According to our forecasts, 80% of funds will be spent on ICT tools and surveillance cameras.” 
 
At the press conference, it was also stated that the experience of collecting payments was taken from the practice of Turkey, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Collecting fees will also be applied for admission to higher education institutions in 2019-2020. 
 
It is noteworthy that earlier, it was reported that serious changes are expected in the testing process for the admission to universities.