State Final Certification in Russian Universities in XVIII – Early XXI Century: Historical Analysis

Nowadays much attention is paid to testing the preparation of graduates for professional activities. The main assessment procedure is the state final certification. In order to form certification tools, it is relevant to study the experience of testing since the beginning of their introduction into the educational process. The article deals with a detailed analysis of the state final certification of graduates in universities of Russia from the 18th century to the beginning of the XXI century. The author considers the issues of forming the procedure of state final certification, as well as the reasons for changes in the forms and nature of certification tests in different historical periods. At the same time, the purpose of the certification of graduates is substantiated, based on the position of the educational policy of the country at a certain period of time. Special attention is paid to the problem of teacher training at school. Based on the specificity of pedagogical education, the state final certification takes a unique form, different from the one carried out in classical specialties. At the same time, certification tests in pedagogical areas have also undergone changes in the historical process. The analysis allows to see the logic of changes in approaches to the state final certification in different historical periods, as well as to highlight the issues of modern trends in the development and implementation of certification tests.