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Career · Science and research

Biotechnologist

Uses living cells and microorganisms to make medicines, vaccines, food and fertilisers.

Career overview

What a day looks like

A biotechnologist plans experiments, grows cultures of cells or bacteria, measures the results and discusses them with the team. Many experiments have to be repeated until it becomes clear what works.

Try it yourself this week

  • 30 minutes

    Ask a science question and check the answer in two sources

    1. Choose a question about chemistry, biology, physics or space that really interests you, for example: why does a vaccine protect you if you haven't had the disease yet?
    2. Write down your guess — what you think now, before you search.
    3. Find the answer in two different sources: a textbook, a popular science website, an encyclopedia. Write down where they agree and where they differ.
    4. Note which source you trust more and why, and how the answer differs from your guess.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like digging down to the real explanation and comparing sources — or the first answer you find is enough for you.

  • 30 minutes

    Do a kitchen experiment: what makes ice melt faster

    1. Put one ice cube of the same size on each of three saucers. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the first, a pinch of sugar on the second, and leave the third as it is.
    2. Before you start watching, write down a prediction: which cube will melt first and why.
    3. Every 5 minutes, write down what each cube looks like, or take photos.
    4. Compare the result with your prediction and find out why it happened in a textbook or a reliable source. Write the explanation in your own words.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you enjoy testing a guess with an experiment — and have the patience to write down the same thing every five minutes.

What you can do next

  1. Next 3 months

    • Ask a science question

      Do the task about a science question and two sources — for example, how a vaccine works.

  2. In six months

    • Try an olympiad or a project

      Ask your biology or chemistry teacher about a school olympiad or a research project.

  3. In a year

    • Ask someone who does this job

      With your parents or a teacher, find someone who does this job and ask what their working day is like and what the hardest part is.

What it pays

No verified information is available in this section yet.

Where to study

Notes on sources are in Russian, as in the original source.

Universities

You apply after grade 11, based on your UNT results.

How to get into college

College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.

  • Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
    Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
    Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
    Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university

The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.

  • The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
    Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)

Courses and opportunities

Courses

Free: 1. Paid ones are listed for reference — check the price and terms on their website.

Can you work before you turn 18?

Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.

History of the career

No verified information is available in this section yet.

Well-known people in this field

No verified information is available in this section yet.

Is this right for you?

The article is about the career; the conversation is about you. The AI mentor will help you see which fields are worth testing.

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