UCA Student Leads Free National Exam Prep Course for Local Youth

For the past 11 weeks, UCA student Kairat Berdishaliev has been leading a free preparation course for the national standardised test (ORT), helping 42 high school students in Naryn build critical maths skills and confidence. The initiative, part of his Service-Learning Project, was designed to reach students who may not have access to costly private tutoring.
The course was delivered with the support of fellow UCA Gold Certificate holders Zhanbol Zharkynbaev and Kairat Kubatov, and coordinated by Tumar Akmatalieva. Together, the team guided participants through complex maths concepts using interactive and accessible teaching approaches.

“For the past four years, I’ve been volunteering to teach ORT prep courses,” said Kairat. “But this year was especially meaningful because we made it part of a structured Service-Learning Project at UCA. It allowed us to offer free, high-quality tutoring to students who truly need it. I’m so proud that two of our students have already been admitted to UCA’s Preparatory Programme.”

Students praised the course for its clarity, effectiveness and inclusivity.
“It’s sad that the course is over. I really enjoyed the classes, and I was probably the only one who always came early! You explained maths in simple terms, much better than we get in school or even at paid courses in town,” shared Umutai Satarova from School No. 2 named after V.P. Chkalov. “Before this course, I didn’t understand many maths concepts, but now I do – and that’s because of your teaching.”

“Thank you to Kairat agai and Tumara eje for months of support and knowledge,” said Madina Turusbekova from School No. 5 named after K. Zhakypov. “Thanks to you, maths became not just understandable, but actually interesting. And the fact that it was free – that really matters. It showed us what true care and commitment look like.”

“Honestly, these free courses were better than the paid ones,” added Danil Malaikulov from School No. 2. “Some topics were so hard, but Kairat agai always made sure to check in with me, even when I was stuck or quiet. That personal attention made me want to study more. I improved a lot because of that.”

With students preparing for the national exam on 19 May, the impact of this initiative continues. By combining academic support with mentorship and care, Kairat and his team have helped transform the educational journeys – and aspirations – of dozens of local youth.