OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2009. Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Naryshkin, who headed a special commission set up to assess the exam reported on the commission’s conclusions.

The President instructed his Executive Office and the Government to continue public discussion on the exam, which the commission concluded is an effective means of testing school pupils’ knowledge.

Noting that the exam is not a universal tool for testing knowledge but is at present the principal means being used, Mr Medvedev said there is a need to use additional forms of testing as well.

The President said that improvement efforts should concentrate on making the exam as effective a tool as possible for revealing pupils’ abilities, facilitating their continued self-development, helping them enter higher education, and preparing them for adult life.