Career · Law, money and valuation
Pawnshop appraiser
Examines the items people bring in and works out their condition and value.
Career overview
What a day looks like
An appraiser looks closely at an item and checks whether it is genuine and what condition it is in. Then they explain to the person how they arrived at the price and fill in the paperwork.
Try it yourself this week
30 minutes
Make your own monthly budget on paper
- Write down where your money comes from: pocket money, gifts, a part-time job. If you don't have any money, make up an amount for practice.
- Write down what you usually spend money on and split it into needs and wants.
- Make a table: income, spending, what's left.
- Work out how you'd save for a goal, for example a new phone or a trip, and how fast you'd get there.
What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like putting numbers in order and deciding what to spend money on.
What you can do next
Next 3 months
Practise assessing items
Pick three things at home and write down what condition they are in and what affects their value. Don't make up a price.
In six months
Understand how deals work
Do the task about a budget and work out with your family how you decide whether to buy something or not.
In a year
Talk to someone who does this job
Through people you know and together with your parents, find out how an appraiser learns to tell good items from bad ones.
What it pays
No verified information is available in this section yet.
Where to study
No verified information is available in this section yet.
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
This selection has no free courses with verified sources. Paid ones are listed for reference — check the price and terms on their website.
- Paidin personKaragandausually for adults — check the agePersonal Center оценщик ломбарда (opens in a new tab)
Personal Center
Курс «Эксперт-оценщик ломбарда»: оценка украшений, работа с залогами. Цену и срок на странице уточняй.
Checked: September 2026
Source: personal24.kz (opens in a new tab)
Opportunities near this field
- ProgrammefreeAtlas of New Professions (opens in a new tab)
Минтруда РК и Центр развития трудовых ресурсов
Who it's for: everyone.
When: reference guide, always available.
Atlas of New Professions: which jobs will appear, change or disappear in the next 5–10 years. Free to read.
Checked: September 2026
Source: atlasbt.enbek.kz (opens in a new tab)
Can you work before you turn 18?
Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.
- Usually you can work from age 16. From 15 — if you are getting basic or general secondary education. From 14 — only in your free time outside school and only light work. If you are under 16, you need a signature from a parent or legal guardian.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - From 14 to 16 you can work no more than 24 hours a week; from 16 to 18, no more than 36 hours a week.
Source: kodeksy-kz.com (opens in a new tab) - Under-18s must not be given heavy or hazardous work, jobs with full financial liability, night work, overtime or business trips.
Source: mybuh.kz (opens in a new tab)
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.