The article gives a detailed account of the specificity of the unified state exam (USE) in a foreign language. The authors claim that the peculiarity of USE lies in the fact that all tasks simultaneously check the level of acquisition of certain types of speaking skills and the vocabulary of the examinee. It is claimed that for the successful implementation of USE tasks it is necessary to have a high level of formation of communicative skills and abilities and a rich vocabulary which requires serious and systematic training.