Foreigners can pass TORFL online!

A remarkable event took place in Saint Petersburg University: for the first time in the history of national education Russian Language and Culture Institute held an online test in Russian as a foreign language for acquisition of Russian citizenship. 

Proficiency in Russian language on the Basic level (A2) is a necessary condition for foreigner to enter Russian citizenship. Until today to pass an oral exam applicants where required to arrive directly to one of the state centers of linguodidactic testing, one of which operates in Saint Petersburg State University on the basis of Russian Language and Culture Institute (RLCI). 

Recently the university has opened a study at RLCI  equipped with unique HD telepresence and video solution complex “Polycom”, that enables to carry online testing in Russian, as well as remote conferences, lectures and seminars. The number of participants of such events may amount up to 500 persons at any place on Earth. 

Being one of the developers of Russian state system of testing foreigners in Russian as a foreign language,

Saint Petersburg State University gained a solid experience in this field for the past 20 years, and nowadays this experience has found a solid technical basis. During mentioned period over 10 000 foreigners managed to pass their tests at the Testing center at RLCI, and on May, 31, 2012, first remote applicant joined this amount – citizen of Republic of Kazakhstan, presently residing in Europe. She arrived to the Testing center at the University if Prague and within 45-minute online session with Saint Petersburg has successfully passed an oral part of the test. 

Upon completion of this part the applicant has passed to a written task. On the next day she received results of her test and continued to formalize the documents for Russian citizenship.