Can you retake the EGE if you're unhappy with your score?

You can retake the Unified State Exam, but not quite the way you might be imagining it. If you've already finished school and received your diploma, you can only attempt it again in the following calendar year. There's no limit on the number of attempts - theoretically you can retake it as many times as you want, but only once per year. This applies to both mandatory subjects (Russian, math) and electives.

Keep in mind that if you've already been admitted to a university based on your current scores, retaking might be more complicated from an organizational standpoint - you'll need to check with your university how it will affect your status. If you haven't been admitted yet, though, it makes sense to submit applications to universities with your new scores after the retake. The key thing is not to expect miracles: you need to approach the retake seriously, figure out what went wrong the first time, and prepare with a clear purpose in mind.

An important thing to note: if you've already received your high school diploma, you can retake it only once in any subsequent year, and this will be counted not as a retake but as a new attempt. There's no limit on the number of subjects, but keep in mind that your new score will completely replace the old one - you can't pick the better grade from the two. If your scores were above the minimum for admission, retaking is purely optional and there won't be any organizational obstacles.

You most likely won't be able to retake it if you've already received your school diploma. The Unified State Exam system works in a way that retakes are only possible in certain cases - if you didn't get the minimum score or didn't show up for the exam at all. But if you've passed the minimum, your score is locked in, and you can't just redo the exam because you want a better grade.

There's one thing people often forget about: if you want to take it next year, that won't be a retake anymore, it'll be another attempt, and only this year's score counts. So your previous result won't be counted, and universities will only see your new score. But this is only possible if you officially register for the Unified State Exam again - they won't let you just retake it on your own.

If you've finished school, the number of attempts isn't limited - you can retake it every year if you want, but each time it'll count as a separate attempt, not a correction. Keep in mind that your latest score overshadows the previous one in the eyes of admissions committees, so there's a risk you'll get an even lower score if your prep doesn't go well 😅

Alright, so it really depends on your current situation. If you're still in school (even in the final months) or don't have your diploma yet - you can retake it this year or next year as long as you haven't graduated. But if you already have your diploma in hand, the rules change significantly.

Once you get your diploma, retaking becomes available, but with limitations. You can try again, but it's no longer a retake exactly - it's a repeat attempt, and the timing is tied to the calendar year - at minimum until the next EGE administration period. Plus there's a limit on how many times: if you think back to the main rules, technically you can redo the exam after getting your diploma, but the system tracks how many times you've already tried. The main thing is to check the current regulations on the FIPI website or with the relevant commission, because the rules sometimes get clarified.

Practical tip: if the result disappointed you, but you did get the minimum score - start a separate folder with photos of all your drafts, solutions, mistakes, and the stuff you got stuck on. When you prep for the retake (if it's possible), this'll help you avoid repeating the same mistakes. A lot of people just start prep from scratch all over again and fall into the same traps.