DUSHANBE, April 15, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- On Monday April 15, the National Testing Center began registration of those willing to participate in a new pilot system of unified university entrance examination.

Parviz Saidov, a spokesman for the National Testing Center, seven registration points have been set up in Dushanbe, Qurghon Teppa, Khujand and Khorog and the registration process will run until April 30.

According to him, 407 specialties provided by 29 Tajik university have been included in the system.  “The system will be updated next year and it will be officially introduced on March 1, 2014 after endorsement by the government,” Saidov noted.

We will recall that Tajikistan in 2011 launched a grant project aimed at supporting the National Testing Center under the Russia Education Aid for Development (READ) Program and the main goal of this project, prepared on the basis of proposals of the Ministry of Education and approval of the Government of Tajikistan, is to strengthen the capacity of the National Testing Center for the sustainable implementation of: (i) a system of unified University entrance examinations based on the principles of equal access, transparency and objectivity, and (ii) a national student assessment system.

The main objective of the project is primarily improving access to higher education by ensuring transparency and objectivity of admission to higher education institutions based on Unified Entrance Examinations conducted by the National Testing Center.

The project is a part of the global Russia Education Aid for Development (READ) Program.  Founded in 2008, READ is a program of cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the World Bank and it is aimed at improving the quality of education and eliminating gaps in the system of learning outcomes assessment in eight countries of the world, including Tajikistan.