In the Milliy sertifikat native language and literature exam the essay (task 45, 24 points) is written in a separate 60 minutes, while tasks 1-44 get 120 minutes and are worth 76 points. Tasks 1-35 are single-answer multiple choice (1.1, 1.7 or 2.5 points) and 36-44 are answered with a word or a number. The paper tests spelling, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, punctuation, two texts (a popular-science text and a literary excerpt) and literary theory. The exam is in Uzbek; below is how each block is built and how not to lose points in it.
Structure and points of tasks 1-44
In total: 1-35 give 59.1 points (10 × 1.1 + 18 × 1.7 + 7 × 2.5), 36-44 give 16.9, the essay 24 - 100 raw points. Wrong answers lose nothing.
| Tasks | What is tested | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1-17 | Spelling, phonetics, vocabulary, morphology, syntax, punctuation, literature | 1.1 / 1.7 / 2.5 |
| 18-22 | 5 tasks on a popular-science (informational) text | 1.7 each |
| 23-27 | 5 tasks on a literary excerpt | 1.1 each |
| 28-32 | Comparing poems, punctuation rules and other harder tasks | 2.5 each |
| 33-35 | Language and literature | 1.7 each |
| 36-39 | Written answer (one word or a number) | 1.7 / 2.5 / 1.7 / 1.7 |
| 40 | Written answer, a) and b) | 1.2 + 1.3 |
| 41-44 | Written answer, a) and b) | 0.8 + 0.9 each |
Spelling and phonetics
- You usually pick the row of correctly or incorrectly spelled words. Options differ by a single letter, so check every word letter by letter.
- Common rules: compound words written together, apart or with a hyphen, the tutuq sign (’), sound changes in the root when a suffix is added.
- Phonetics covers sound classes, syllables and stress, and sound changes.
- Trick: find one word that is definitely wrong and cross out every option containing it.
Vocabulary and morphology
- Vocabulary: polysemy, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, idioms, a word's meaning in context.
- Morphology: parts of speech, word formation, non-finite verb forms (sifatdoş participle, ravişdoş converb, harakat nomi verbal noun), voice and mood, case suffixes.
- Decide the part of speech by the word's job in the sentence, not by its form in isolation.
- Suffixes: -gan, -yotgan, -(a)r make participles; -ib, -a, -gaç converbs; -(i)ş, -moq verbal nouns.
Syntax and punctuation
- Sentence members (ega subject, kesim predicate, töldiruvçi object, aniqlovçi attribute, hol adverbial), coordinated members, parenthetical words and address.
- Word groups: subordinate (tobe) and coordinate (teng) links. Ask the question: «qanday panellarini? - arzon», so «arzon» depends on «panellarini».
- Complex sentences: compound, complex and asyndetic, and how their parts relate in meaning.
- Punctuation: comma, dash, colon. Example: «Ha, ustozimiz aytganidek, bilim heç qaçon ortiqçalik qilmaydi, uni egallagan esa heç qaçon kam bölmaydi» needs 3 commas: after the affirmative word, around the parenthetical phrase and between the clauses.
Working with the texts (18-27)
Two texts are given: 18-22 a popular-science text, 23-27 a literary excerpt, with 5 tasks each. One careful reading answers five questions at once.
- Look through the questions first, then read - you will know what to look for.
- When a question says «according to the text», only what the text says is correct, not what you know.
- For a word's meaning in the text, put each option into that same sentence.
- On the literary excerpt you get asked about the author, the work, the character and devices (simile, epithet, personification).
Written-answer tasks (36-44)
There are no options here - you write the answer, so a spelling mistake can also cost the points. Task types from the official sample:
- One word that is a synonym of each of three words: «bulutsiz osmon, samimiy çehra, aniq javob» - the answer is «oçiq».
- How many commas a sentence needs (answer with a number).
- Write correctly a word with a suffix or style error.
- Name the coordinated member or the type of word link (tobe / teng).
- Join two sentences with a conjunction and name the kind of compound sentence you get.
- In a verse excerpt: the name of a device (for example tardi aks), rhyme (raviy, mutlaq or muqayyad qofiya), the form (qit’a, ruboiy).
Splitting the 120 minutes
The 2.5-point tasks (28-32) take longer, but one of them is worth more than two 1.1-point tasks - do not leave them for the last minutes. The essay has its own 60 minutes; do not spend this time on it.
| Part | Suggested time |
|---|---|
| 1-17 | 25-30 minutes |
| 18-27 (two texts) | 25 minutes |
| 28-35 | 20 minutes |
| 36-44 | 30-35 minutes |
| Checking | 10 minutes |
Common mistakes
- Writing two answers («oçiq / ravşan») when one is asked for.
- Mixing up sentence members and parts of speech: «ot» (noun) instead of «töldiruvçi» (object).
- Writing the whole repeated part of a rhyme as the raviy - the raviy is one sound.
- In a literary text, swapping the author's view for a character's.
