Candidates for State Scholarships Exempted from Additional Tests in 2025–2026 Academic Year

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In the current academic year, candidates for presidential and named state scholarships will not be required to take additional tests. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation officially announced that the introduction of the new specialized testing system has been postponed by one year.

Despite the Cabinet of Ministers’ approved resolution on the updated selection procedure, the ministry clarified that the previous rules will apply for this year.

Students who successfully passed the preliminary stage and whose documents have already been forwarded for evaluation at the national level will be assessed according to the existing criteria. Candidates’ achievements will be evaluated based on current academic performance and research work, without the need for entrance examinations.

Starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, the selection process will become significantly stricter.

The key innovation will be mandatory tests developed by the Knowledge and Skills Assessment Agency, covering three main areas: information technology, the history of Uzbekistan, and foreign languages. To continue participating in the competition, candidates must score at least 55% of the maximum possible points. Those who fail to meet the threshold or do not appear for testing will not be recommended for scholarships.

To ensure transparency, academic performance indicators will be generated solely from the HEMIS information system.

Students who disagree with the test results will have the right to appeal to a commission composed of at least five experts.

Additionally, a limitation on repeat awards will be introduced: students who have already received a named state scholarship will not be eligible to participate in the competition again at the same stage of study.