State language exam to become mandatory for all graduates in Uzbekistan from 2025

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Starting in 2025, graduates from schools where instruction is conducted in languages other than Uzbek will also be required to take a state language exam, Minister of Preschool and School Education Hilola Umarova announced.

According to Order No. 65, issued on 20 February 2025, a new procedure for final state certification in general education institutions has been approved.

The document establishes a list of examination subjects, their formats, and a catalog of national and international certificates that certify proficiency in general education disciplines and foreign languages.

For 9th-grade students, the following subjects will be mandatory:

• Native language and literature (for classes taught in Uzbek) – written form
• State language (for classes taught in languages other than Uzbek) – written form
• Mathematics – written form
• History of Uzbekistan – written or oral form
• Physical education – practical assessment

For 11th-grade graduates, the compulsory exams will include:

• Native language and literature (for classes taught in Uzbek) – written form
• State language (for classes taught in languages other than Uzbek) – written form
• Mathematics (basic or advanced level) – written form
• History – written form

Additionally, students will have the option to take one elective subject from the following list:

• Native language and literature (for students studying in Karakalpak, Russian, Kazakh, Turkmen, Tajik, or Kyrgyz)
• Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Fundamentals of State Law, Geography – written form
• Foreign language – written or oral form

From 2025 onward, taking the state language exam will be mandatory for all 11th-grade graduates who receive their education in a language other than Uzbek.

Further details on these new regulations will be published on the ministry’s official social media pages.