The lowest passing score at the Centralized Testing for Russian school leavers will be rised by spring 2015, according to Russia's deputy prime minister Olga Golodets.

      "We will done it by spring. Later we will set a date to announce the new passing scores", the deputy prime minister told Interfax news agency.

      Olga Golodets says that measures for refinement of Russian standards of knowledge must affect all education levels. "That's why we need new professional standards, which are now obligatory for high-quality educational process. That involves new requirements for both schools and institutes of higher education", she added.

      At the end of November Russian President charged the Russian Government to work up a project for rising the lowest passing scores at the Centralized Testing, which would allow applicants to enter an institute.

      The President also demanded to organize an independent quality audit of learning process in Russian institutes and universities. The quality assessment is expected to have an influence on state accreditation of Russian institutes of higher education. Besides, the new rating of Russian higher schools must be issued by June 1, 2015.