How to apply to the design department:
Unified State Exam subjects, areas of focus, and creative testing

In recent years, the field of design has experienced a real boom in popularity: firstly, it is a field where creativity and artistic freedom are combined with technological and functional solutions; secondly, more and more companies are recognizing the importance of high-quality visual communication for attracting and retaining the attention of clients/consumers.

Today, designers are involved in developing the appearance of websites, services, games, and mobile applications, striving to make the final digital product user-friendly and accessible.

The demand for specialists and the wide range of fields attract graduates dreaming of a promising creative career. Passing the Unified State Exam with high scores and admission to a desired university are the first steps on the path to becoming a designer.

Unified State Exam (USE) subjects for admission to the design department

Russian remains a mandatory entrance exam for any university, regardless of your chosen major. After that, everything depends on your chosen major. Here are the most popular ones, along with the Unified State Exam (USE) subjects required for admission.

• Fashion design involves sketching and modeling clothing, footwear, and accessories, as well as selecting materials and sewing.

Subjects: literature/history.

• Landscape design is the work with the relief and improvement of open spaces, from courtyards to city parks.

Subjects: biology, geography/advanced mathematics.

• Industrial design is the design of the appearance of equipment and gadgets (mass-produced items).

Subjects: advanced mathematics, physics/computer science.

• Graphic design is the creation of effective visual communication : fonts, identities, packaging, logos, etc.

Subjects: literature, social studies/history.

• Interior design is the design of residential and commercial spaces, including the selection of materials and furniture, layout, lighting, and decorative elements.

Subjects: Literature.

• Web design is the development of visual layouts for websites, applications, landing pages, and interfaces.

Subjects: literature/history, social studies/computer science/advanced mathematics

• Game design is the creation of concepts, rules, scenarios, and graphics for computer games.

Subjects: literature, advanced mathematics, computer science.

The range of subjects is quite wide, so we recommend checking the exact exam combinations on the websites of individual universities. However, most often, applicants to design programs require literature and/or social studies — choose these exams to get a wide selection of universities.

What types of creative challenges are there?

A key feature of admission to the design department at any university is the requirement to pass an additional internal test (a creative competition) to assess artistic skills, creativity, readiness for practical tasks, and visualization abilities. The format and content, again, depend on the university and the specific specialty, but the creative competition typically includes some of the following stages:

• Drawing : an image of objects (usually geometric or plaster figures) from life, taking into account light and shadow, volume, size, etc.
• Composition : the correct organization and arrangement of objects within a given theme.
• Drawing : a composition in three projections with a demonstration of all sections and cuts (a mandatory exam for the specialty “Architectural Environment Design” and similar ones).
• Project : reviewing a pre-prepared creative project on a chosen subject (for example, different design programs at HSE require completing a series of projects on a chosen topic in a uniform style).
• Portfolio competition : an assessment by the admissions committee of a set of diverse works of the applicant, completed in advance (the required formats should be clarified on the university websites).

The number and order of these stages may vary across institutions and programs. However, universities most often begin with a portfolio competition (online or offline), followed by an in-person creative test or a creative project presentation. In some cases, the final stage is an interview, which tests the applicant’s theoretical knowledge and ability to justify their creative solutions.

It’s important to remember to start working on your portfolio and creative project early, as some universities require you to upload them to the website/send them (in digital form) as early as May.

The wide variety of disciplines in design opens up many opportunities, but at the same time, it sometimes requires simultaneous preparation for exams in subjects from completely different fields (for example, Russian language, literature, and biology). A clear plan and training with strong teachers are essential here.

The 100-Point Tutor online school , ranked #1 in terms of 100-Point Students in 2025, will help you prepare for the Unified State Exam in various subjects. Our powerful preparation system will help you achieve high scores on the Unified State Exam, and a well-designed schedule will allow you to prepare for multiple subjects with equal effectiveness.