I want to understand if I actually have a chance to get in with my scores. Where can I find current information about minimum Unified State Exam scores and competition for the program I'm interested in?
The official university website with the admissions office is your main source of information. They post not only the passing scores from previous years, but also competition statistics: how many spots are available, how many applications were submitted, what the average score was for those who got in. This information gets updated every year after the application deadline. Plus, you can find the minimum Unified State Exam scores for a specific program there too - that's a harder threshold that they won't go below.
Here's the thing: just because the passing score was, say, 85 points last year doesn't mean it'll stay the same this year. The competition could be weaker - then the passing score drops. It could be stronger - then scores only go up. It depends on how strong the applicants are who apply specifically to your program.
So work with a range instead: take the passing scores from the last 2 - 3 years, see how they fluctuated, and think about where you feel confident. If your scores are higher than the maximum in that range - you're in better shape. If they're below the minimum - it's risky, but possible if the competition drops. If you're in the range - you have a shot, but no guarantees.
The cutoff score isn't really what you should be focusing on! It's called that only because that's the score people got in with last year, but that absolutely doesn't mean it'll be the same this year. Scores can be higher if competition gets tougher, or lower if fewer people apply. So instead of looking for the cutoff score itself, you should be searching for information about minimum requirements and trends.
The main place to look is the university's own website - in the admissions section there's all the current info about programs, the number of spots available, and what subjects you need for the Unified State Exam. Also check the results from previous years - they usually publish the average and minimum scores of admitted students. While you're at it, take a look at the Rosobrnadzor website or educational portals like postupi.online - they collect data from different universities so you can compare competition across specialties.
One more tip: if you're seriously interested in a university, write to their admissions office or call - they'll give it to you straight about your chances, because they actually want to see motivated applicants! And remember that the number of spots, how competition is structured, and the requirements themselves can all change, so go by the 2026 information, not old archived data.
It's great that you're asking this question, but here's the thing: the cutoff score is more of a historical fact than a prediction! Yeah, you see it everywhere, but it only shows what happened a year ago. This year everything could change depending on how many applicants there are, their average grades, how popular the program is, and a bunch of other variables.
Look for information on the official admissions committee website of the university you're planning to apply to - they post statistics from previous years, minimum Unified State Exam scores, and sometimes even forecasts! Make sure to look back several years: if the cutoff score jumps all over the place, that's a red flag. Also check how many state-funded spots there are - the fewer there are, the tougher the competition. Nowadays a lot of universities even post this info on their Telegram channels!
I used to panic looking at last year's cutoff score, thinking it would be exactly the same, but it ended up going up by 15 points! The only thing that saved me was that I didn't rely on just one number - I prepared with a buffer. So here's my advice: don't get hung up on one score, try to get more points than the minimum, and you'll be fine!
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