According to the report, this phenomenon indicates that high school graduates have not yet decided on their future specialty and take exams in hopes of gaining admission to various educational institutions. For example, if they fail to enroll in a medical university, they may try to apply to language institutes and other fields.
CAELM explains that the choice of subject tests depends on the specialty to which the applicants are applying. For admission to most specialties, it is sufficient to pass one subject test in addition to the main one. However, for admission to the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy and some private medical universities, it is necessary to take two tests — in chemistry and biology.
The most popular subject among applicants has become the history test, while the least chosen was the Russian language and literature test, which was introduced in 2020.
Applicants are increasingly choosing English as a subject test. As in previous years, physics remains the least popular discipline among participants of the nationwide test.
“Subject tests pose more difficulties for applicants than the main exam. As in previous years, the highest average score was achieved in the English language test (88.2). The average scores for tests in the natural sciences cycle in 2025 differ slightly: mathematics — 65.4, biology — 63.1, chemistry — 61. The average score in physics was 59.4, which is 2.2% lower than last year, attributed to the lack of qualified teachers in the country's schools,” the report notes.
The average scores for humanities subjects are as follows: 72.5 for Kyrgyz language and literature, 71.5 for Russian language and literature, 69.8 for history.
The authors of the report emphasize that the average scores for subject tests are not high. Nevertheless, the results for 2025 in all subjects, except for physics, turned out to be 2-6 points higher than in 2024.
It is worth noting that since 2012, the nationwide test has been mandatory for admission to all universities in the country, regardless of their ownership. However, there are specialties for which testing results are not required, such as physical education and sports, culture, and arts.
