Kyrgyzstan's presidential candidates failed the Kyrgyz language proficiency exam

Candidates failed to score the required points

In Kyrgyzstan, ahead of the presidential election, interest in the state language proficiency exam has grown. As reported by Zamon.uz, presidential candidates Omurbek Suvanaliev and Syimyk Zhapykeev failed to score the required points on the test. Zhapykeev retook the exam. Another candidate, Ishok Masaliev, also took the test, but his result is not yet known.

Exam pass statistics

The outlet 24.kg analyzed state language exam results from January to October 2026. According to the analysis, only 17.9% of participants taking the test for the first time achieved a successful result: of the 21,552 people who took the exam for the first time since the beginning of the year, 3,859 achieved the required result. The outlet examined 200 result files published on the Kyrgyztest website. Including retakes, the share of successful results was about 41% of the total number of participants. According to Kyrgyztest itself, from the beginning of 2026 to October 1, 30,525 tests were administered, of which 13,278 people met the established requirement — that is 43.5%, a figure close to 24.kg's calculations.

The hardest parts — writing and speaking

According to the outlet's analysis, the hardest parts of the exam turned out to be the written and oral tasks: until September, more than half of participants failed to pass these sections, whereas reading and listening were relatively easier. If until September one in five participants managed to pass all sections on the first attempt, afterwards it was only one in nine. The exam covers vocabulary, grammar, listening, reading, writing and speaking, is assessed from level A1 to C1, and lasts 2 hours 50 minutes. From September 2, the 'Vocabulary and Grammar' section has been temporarily not administered as a separate test — its content has been incorporated into other sections.

Who the requirements will affect

Language proficiency requirements are being tightened in stages: for civil and municipal servants, level B1 has been set from 2025, and B2 from 2027. Employees of state and municipal enterprises, institutions and organizations, including teachers, researchers and medical workers, are required to have level B1 from 2026, and B2 from 2028. For representatives of ethnic minorities permanently residing in the country, level A2 is required from 2026, and B1 from 2028. Editorial note: the low share of successful first attempts (17.9%), against the backdrop of the phased introduction of mandatory levels, means that a significant portion of civil servants and residents of the country, including presidential candidates, will need several attempts or additional preparation to meet the requirements; however, the sources do not name the exact reasons for the low results.