Challenges Faced by High School Students in Preparing for the English Exam at UNT in Kazakhstan

This study examines some primary challenges faced by 11th-grade students at Dostyq School in Kazakhstan as they get ready for the English section of the Unified National Testing (UNT). From semi-structured interviews of 15 students, a few themes that recurred came about. Participants reported many difficulties with vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and grammar, which they identified as definite barriers to achieving high scores. Exam-related stress was also of important concern, with many students expressing feelings of anxiety and pressure leading up to the test. Some students considered preparing for the IELTS exam, with the possibility of converting IELTS scores into UNT points, while feeling unprepared in time and in language skill. Many students relied upon external support, such as several private tutors, multiple group courses, or diverse online platforms, including Juz40, EDUCON, KURSANT, and YouTube. However, many people noted that these resources frequently lacked some personalized guidance that they needed. They required this guidance to address their very specific weaknesses. Students highlighted the emotional strain from parental expectations, in addition to academic challenges. These findings suggest a need for much more accessible as well as tailored preparatory materials, in addition to stronger emotional together with motivational support systems that better equip students for the demands of the English UNT