Instead of 1500 Dram, Applicants Will Pay 4500 Dram: Differences Between the First and Second Phases of Unified Exams – Spokesperson of the CTE

In Armenia, starting from 2023, applicants will have the opportunity to take the unified exams twice, in January and June-July of the same year.

In an interview with Armenpress, Khachanysh Grigoryan, the spokesperson for the Center for Educational Testing (CTE), stated that participation in the unified exam expected in January will not be mandatory, but optional.

From 2023, the first phase of the unified exams will take place in January. Applications will be accepted from December 15 to December 25 of the previous year, and the exams will be held from January 15 to February 15 of the next year.

He emphasized that in the first phase of application registration and exam administration, applicants, including those graduating from general, vocational, or preliminary educational institutions in Armenia in that academic year, as well as graduates from previous years and foreign citizens graduating from schools in foreign countries, can take a maximum of two unified exams.

A 12th-grade graduate taking the unified exam applies to their school principal to receive a personal number and registers on the CTE's website. Those applicants who do not study at school, meaning graduates from previous years, those from foreign schools, or graduates from colleges can reach out to the directors of designated schools for their own personal number for registration.

He added that those interested can also register independently but have the option to seek help from the operators of the respective schools if needed.

Addressing the differences between the two phases of unified exams, Grigoryan noted that the first phase held in January differs from the unified exams conducted at the end of the academic year in that instead of paying 1500 Dram, applicants will pay 4500 Dram since the CTE is conducting this with its own resources, and the government does not finance this process. Another difference is that only the subject is registered, not the profession, meaning that there will not be a competition in the conventional sense. The applicant can take the exam in a given subject once in January if they wish, and then can take it again in June.

The highest score obtained will participate in the competition for any designated profession.

“What will this new opportunity give to the applicant? Primarily, they will familiarize themselves with the examination procedures, the format of the answers, the test booklets, and how to fill out the forms. They will also be able to manage their time accordingly. For instance, there could be an applicant who needs to take two exams, and this may provide the opportunity to take one of them in January, achieve a satisfying score, and focus on the other subject to be taken in June. Conversely, if they do not pass, they can retake the same subject and receive a passing grade,” explained the CTE spokesperson.

He added that if an applicant receives a failing grade in one of the two exams, they will still participate in the competition with their positive score. After the application registration ends, when the number of exam takers is known, the examination days will be determined.

Applications for the second phase will be accepted from April 15 to May 10, 2023, with exams conducted from June 1 to July 10.