In recent days, social media has seen reports and videos showing long queues at "Kyrgyztest," making it difficult for citizens to take the tests on time. The director of this institution, Batma Topoeva-Stavinskaya, explained the reasons for the current situation and described the current work schedule.
Reasons for the formation of long queues
According to Batma Topoeva-Stavinskaya, the mandatory testing for knowledge of the state language for civil servants and citizens applying for government positions has significantly increased the number of visitors to "Kyrgyztest" in recent years.
“In the last three days, active discussions about our work have filled social networks. I believe this is justified. Our institution has only 50 testing spots, and it operates in two shifts. The first shift starts at 9:00 and lasts until 11:40–12:00. The test takes 2 hours and 40 minutes. After a break, the second shift begins. Some opinions on social media suggesting that 'they closed the doors and left' may be related to this. However, our staff do not even take breaks. Despite the limited number of spots, we accept about 140 people a day. We are ready to open additional spots, but the space in the building does not allow it. Therefore, about 300 people come each day, and those who do not make it have to leave,” the director explained.
The director reported that the institution will be moved to a more suitable building, and additional testing centers will be opened in the regions. “The country's leadership is aware of our situation. We are being prepared a new premises with better conditions, and steps are being taken to improve the material and technical base. But this will take time, so we need to be patient. The Prime Minister has been instructed to open one testing center in each region. We hope for positive changes this year,” she added.
Mobile groups of 'Kyrgyztest'
The director noted that a mobile group operates in the regions, organizing testing in regional centers throughout the year.
“Our mobile group is currently in Manas, Jalal-Abad region. Then they will go to the region from which the most applications come. Currently, there is only one such group operating, and we would like to launch a second one, but we lack technical resources. In December last year, we developed a Telegram chat-bot through which citizens actively register. We first queue 30 civil servants based on official applications, and then 20 citizens who registered through the chat-bot,” she added.
The head of the institution explained the necessity of presenting original documents when taking the test. She noted that there have been cases where relatives or acquaintances attempt to take the test instead of the candidates themselves.
“We require a document with a photo. Staff must carefully verify the identity of the test-taker with the photo in the document. In such cases, citizens are dissatisfied, claiming: 'Everywhere accepts digital documents, but you require originals.' But the reason is that we record attempts at deception. In the last 10 days, there have been 8 cases where someone tried to take the test for another person. Acts have been drawn up against these individuals, and they have been banned from taking the test for a year. Additionally, there are attempts to bring devices for internet access. If a person with an A1 language proficiency suddenly receives a C1 level certificate, it may raise suspicions of corruption. We must prevent such violations,” she emphasizes.
“The online testing system was implemented in 2019, and its first users were employees of embassies and representations of Kyrgyzstan abroad. However, due to abuses related to copying and distributing questions, we were forced to close this format. There are proctoring programs for monitoring exams, but they are very expensive. In the future, we plan to acquire them. Also, to enhance control, we intend to implement fingerprint and Face ID identification systems,” she reported.
It is worth noting that the state institution "Kyrgyztest" was established in 2018. During this period, more than 20,000 people have undergone testing. The rules for taking tests can be found on the official website kyrgyztest.gov.kg. The level of language proficiency is determined on a 5-point scale, and there is an option for retaking depending on the results. Testing is conducted in two shifts: at 9:00 and 13:00. The cost of the main test is 450 soms, and retaking one subtest costs 90 soms.
Payment methods:
- at any bank branch;
- via QR code at the 'Kyrgyztest' office.
