In January 2025, news appeared in social networks that now for quoting in the USE, works of “foreign agents” can take off points. We checked the reliability of such publications.

On January 25, reports on the innovation allegedly operating this year when evaluating the exam in the Russian language were spread in social networks and the media. It is claimed that now Russian schoolchildren can reduce points for contacting the works "foreign agents"since this is equated with an ethical error. Some publications are accompanied by a list of these authors, including Boris Akunin, Tamara Eidelman, Dmitry Bykov, Dmitry Glukhovsky and others. The authors of publications clarify that the appeal to the ideas or works of “foreign agents” can cost schoolchildren of the same point when evaluating the composition.

The journalist wrote about this Alexey Venediktov (128,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), as well as Telegram channels "Russian economy"(69,000),"Hedgehog"(64 000), K1 (44,000), "Yuri will be Dud"(35,000) and others. The news appeared in the publication The Moscow Times and was actively discussed on Facebook: posts appeared on the pages of a literary critic Oleg Lekmanova, writer Victor Shenderovich and philologist Asi Stein.

The structure and program of the unified state exam (exam) is changing annually. Talks about the need to completely cancel or revise testing periodically come up - the last time such a bill is the last time examined In the State Duma in 2024. Since 2023, the issues related to the outbreak of war in Ukraine began to meet in the examination sheets in history, the Russian language and social studies. In history tasks appeared The names of the participants in the Russian invasion, and from the collection of those who can fall into the exam in social studies, Gone “Democracy, its main values and signs”, “Civil Society and the Law State” and “Military duty, Alternative Civil Service”.

The distributed messages say that the changes concern the exam in the Russian language. The exam consists of several parts, each of them has its own evaluation system. The composition is the last task and the most significant element of the exam, 22 primary points can be obtained as much as possible for it. These points consist of compliance with criteria that can change annually.

For the first time, the news about the changes in the assessment of the essay dispersed at the end of August last year. Then the Federal Institute of Pedagogical Dimension (FIPI) published trial options for the exam in the Russian language for 2025. Many media wrote about this, including "New newspaper" Meduza, "Caution, news","Gazeta.ru","Chalk"And others. At that moment, the attention of journalists attracted other details in the evaluation criteria - most publications were devoted to the removal of points for contacting extremist materials or the promotion of" non -traditional values ". Some resources then Wrotethat in the USE in the Russian language a new criterion has appeared - "compliance with ethical norms." However, this is not so. On Official website Fipi can now find the earliest demo versions of the exam in only 2020, and over the past five years, the criterion of “compliance with ethical norms” is in all versions. The only difference is that before this year this parameter was taken into account as part of the literacy of graduates, now it refers to the speech design of the composition. Both in past years and now for a mistake, they can remove a maximum of one point.

Criteria for evaluating the essay in the USE in the Russian language for graduates of 2024. Source: Fipi

Unlike previous years, this year it is stated that it is considered an ethical error. Deputy Director FIPI Olga Kotova explained The RIA Novosti agency that teachers and graduates had problems with this criterion, which is why Fipi decided to detail the wording. So, judging by the document, it will be an ethical error, if in the work of examples from extremist and/or other prohibited for production and distribution among minor materials, socially unacceptable behavior of people, as well as if there are statements that violate the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Criteria for evaluating the essay in the exam in the Russian language for graduates of 2025. Source: Fipi

In January 2025, the news began to be discussed again in Runet. January 23 at 19:39 Moscow time Tutor in the Russian language and literature Natalya Semushkina Loose In its Telegram channel, a list of writers, publicists and journalists included in the register of “foreign agents” with the signature: “When preparing for the composition of the exam, it is important to consider that the appeal to the works of authors recognized in Russia can lead to loss of points by the criterion K6 (ethical errors).” In an hour this publication reputed Alexey Venediktov in her Telegram channel, after which the news was widely dispersed on the network.

In the description of the ethical violations for which the graduate may lose the point, nothing is said about “foreign agents”. Nevertheless, the first item states that examples of materials prohibited to distribution among minors are considered an error. In this list Enters The information made by the person included in the register of "foreign agents". Corresponding amendments Book The law “On the Protection of Children from Information causing harm to their health and development” in December 2022. From that moment, all books of "foreign agents" should Start The “18+” label, and printed materials are sold only in opaque packaging.

Thus, there is no direct ban on quoting “foreign agents” in the exam. However, judging by the detailed description of the ethical errors that Fipi published this year, they can really deprive the point for this. Therefore, tutors reasonably (if you proceed from the pursuit of the highest score) advise not to mention the authors included in the register of "foreign agents".

Photo on the cover: Ben Mullins / Unsplash