Chinese will be tested as a foreign language for Russia’s college entrance exam starting from 2016, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Education and Science Natalia Tretiak recently confirmed.

Tretiak said they will start the trial period in some selected cities and regions such as Moscow, St. Petersburg and some far east regions.

They are right now reviewing texts and technical procedures pertaining to the Chinese language testing.

In Russia, college enrollments use high school graduation tests as the only criteria for students to go to college, not like in China where students have to take a separate test for college.

Currently their mandatory foreign languages for college enrollment are English, French, Spanish and German.