Russian schoolchildren to take financial cyberliteracy test

On 10 April, schoolchildren aged 11-15 years from 12 Russian cities will take a cross-regional test in financial cyberliteracy for the first time. The test – a joint pilot project organised by the Bank of Russia and the Russian State Children's Library – will be offered to children from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladimir, Yekaterinburg, Kirov, Lipetsk, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Samara, Saratov and Ryazan.

The test will be held in municipal children's libraries. It is a quiz of 20 questions about general and financial cybersecurity and includes: safety precautions people should take when withdrawing cash from ATMs, and how to use banking cards, web services and mobile applications. The children will be able to find out how many correct answers they have given immediately after the test – as the results will be accessible by smartphone or tablet. Bank of Russia experts will hold master classes and make presentations once the test is complete.

‘These days, kids are active users of new technology, and this includes fintech; yet, they often fail to realise the risks this technology presents. A cybertest is then, on the one hand, an opportunity for kids to test their knowledge and, on the other, to find out more about financial technology risks and ways to protect themselves against them. And this is the main aim of the test’, said Dmitry Skobelkin, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Russia. ‘Also, we hope that schoolchildren will share this information with their parents, helping them understand how to stay safe when using new technology’.

With more applications received than expected, the next test is set to be extended both in terms of number of participants and regional coverage.