A guide to the Russian education system and how your credentials compare to US standards for immigration, university admissions, and employment.
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Apply Now →Russia operates an 11-year system of general education with children starting school at age 7 (some regions begin at age 6). Secondary general education with 11 years of formal schooling has been compulsory since September 2007. The Ministry of Education and Science is responsible for implementing state education policy and regulations. The school year starts on September 1 and runs through June, with 34 weeks of study spread over two semesters. Russian is the official language of instruction and examination.
Foundational literacy, numeracy, Russian language, Mathematics, Natural Science, Arts, and Physical Education. No national examination at this stage.
Students study Russian language and literature, Mathematics, History, Geography, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Foreign Language, and Physical Education. At the end of Grade 9, students sit the Osnovnoy Gosudarstvenny Ekzamen (OGE — Basic State Examination) in Russian and Mathematics plus two elective subjects. Passing the OGE is required to receive the Certificate of Basic General Education (Attestat ob Osnovnom Obshchem Obrazovanii).
Students prepare for the Unified State Examination (Ediniy Gosudarstvenny Ekzamen — EGE), administered in late May/early June. The EGE in Russian language and Mathematics is mandatory; students choose additional subjects based on their intended university program. Successful completion leads to the Certificate of [Complete] General Secondary Education (Attestat o Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii), equivalent to a US high school diploma.
Following the Bologna Process reforms, Russia adopted a two-tier system: Bachelor's degree (Bakalavr, 4 years) and Master's degree (Magistr, 2 years). The traditional Soviet-era Specialist degree (Spetsialist, 5–6 years) is still awarded in some professional fields (medicine, law, engineering). Doctoral degrees include the Kandidat Nauk (equivalent to PhD, 3 years post-Master's) and the higher Doktor Nauk.
| Russian Grade | Description (Russian / Transliteration) | US Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Отлично / Otlichno (Excellent) | A |
| 4 | Хорошо / Khorosho (Good) | B |
| 3 | Удовлетворительно / Udovletvoritelno (Satisfactory) | C |
| Зачет / Zachet* | Pass | P |
| 2 | Неудовлетворительно / Neudovletvoritelno (Fail) | F |
* Zachet generally represents a passing grade in a series of courses in the same subject. The grade of Excellent, Good, or Satisfactory given for the last course in the series retroactively applies to all previous Zachet grades in that series.
A formal credential evaluation is required for US university admissions, employment-based immigration petitions (H-1B, EB-1A, EB2-NIW, O-1, L-1), and professional licensing.
All Russian academic documents must be accompanied by certified English translations. Evaluation World offers Russian-to-English translation services combined with your evaluation order.