The РЭШ (NES) Olympiad
The New Economic School (NES) in Moscow — a private, elite institution and one of the strongest names in economics in Russia. Its olympiad is online with proctoring, in two parts (mathematics + English), and winners are admitted to the Master's programs — most of its students hold scholarships/grants from the school itself, per the source.
An extra benefit for the Master's track: winners and prize-winners may apply through the Russian Government quota path for Master's programs 2026/27 — subject to the list's and the quota's conditions
Official file (PDF) ↗The exact 2026/27 dates are published on the official website — we'll add them here as soon as they're officially confirmed. The test is mathematics + English, so preparation for them starts now, not at announcement time.
International students are eligible according to the official list (the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education's 2026/27 Master's list). Admission benefits themselves vary by programme, track and admission rules.
What is the NES olympiad?
The New Economic School (РЭШ/NES) is a private institution — meaning this path is different from the government quota: the olympiad leads to admission to the school's Master's programs (including «AI & FinTech»), and most of its Master's students hold scholarships or grants from the school itself, per the source.
The olympiad is open to final-year students and graduates — including internationals — from economics, mathematics, physics, IT and humanities backgrounds. The test is online with proctoring, in two parts: mathematics and English.
What could you gain?
This is a private institution, not a government quota path — the grants are the school's own, under its own conditions, and the 89% figure is a statistic from one particular year, not a promise to you. Don't assume living costs are covered: ask the school about the grant details before building your budget.
The stages
Per the official site: registering in the «РЭШ applicant's personal account» on admissions.nes.ru is how you submit your application — and check your target program's requirements.
With proctoring, in two parts: mathematics + English — prepare both seriously; your academic English level is a decisive factor.
Winners complete the Master's admission procedures with the school — teaching is in Russian and English depending on the program.
The core documents for most Master's olympiads: proof of a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Russian or English, or with a certified translation — the exact list comes from the official website.
The fields
The olympiad is open to multiple backgrounds, with programs in:
Who can take part?
Final-year students and graduates — including internationals — from economics, mathematics, physics, IT and humanities backgrounds, per the source.
Tap any question to open the answer ▾
💬Is this a government quota?
No — NES is a private institution, and this path is admission + grants from the school itself, per the source (89% of first-year Master's students received grants in 2025-26, per the website). For the government path, see our Russian Government Scholarship page.
💬What is the test about?
Two online parts with proctoring: mathematics and English — both need serious preparation, and strong English is a practical requirement for success (teaching itself is in Russian and English, per the website).
💬I'm not an economics graduate — is that OK?
Yes — the olympiad is open to economics, mathematics, physics, IT and humanities backgrounds, per the source.
💬How good is this school, really?
According to its official website: among the top 3 Russian universities in the Shanghai ranking (ARWU) for economics, with 570 students across 8 programs — a small, elite institution by nature, which makes the competition for its places serious.
The opportunity is competitive and not guaranteed, and the grant details come from the school directly — the final reference is admissions.nes.ru.
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