The Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor) is considering including a speaking assessment in the exam for labor migrants. According to the agency's press service, most migrants in Russia need to communicate orally with locals in various situations during their stay.
Currently, the oral component is only present in exams for work permits or patents, but not for other exam levels. To incorporate a "Speaking" section for labor migrants, changes to the regulations for exams in Russian as a foreign language, Russian history, and the basics of Russian legislation would be necessary, as stated by Rosobrnadzor.
There is also a possibility of revising the minimum passing score for foreigners seeking residency or citizenship. Natalia Trukhanovskaya, the rector of the Pushkin Russian Language Institute, proposed raising the minimum score from 50 to 80 and adding an oral communication assessment in interviews.
Trukhanovskaya emphasized the importance of verbal communication for future labor migrants to effectively perform professional tasks and integrate into society. She highlighted the need for migrants to understand Russian instructions at work and express themselves professionally and socially.
In 2021, speaking was excluded from the migrant exam, but the institute believes that verbal communication is crucial for migrants' successful integration and performance in the Russian society.
