Background. Numerous methods have been developed to guide schoolchildren toward career choice and professional education. However, empirical evidence for predictive validity of such methods is quite weak. This study specifies the case of university applicants (recent schoolchildren) profession choices. The author’s approach to identification of a professional orientation, developed in previous studies and based on the integrative-­typological classification of the world of work, is used. Objective. The aim is to check the relation between applicants’ professional orientation, requirements of the chosen professional activity with the success of professional development in the initial period of studying at university. Methods. We used the following methods: “Integrative-­typological professional orientation of the personality questionnaire”, “The scale of satisfaction with life”, “The scale of satisfaction with studies”, “The studies engagement questionnaire”, “Organizational and suborganizational identity questionnaire”. Sample. The sample involved 435 applicants who then entered the university and studied in the chosen field. Results. According to the subject matter of the chosen profession, four types of university education areas have been distinguished. These include integral, object-­related, human-­related and information-­related types. The criteria for the compliance of the professional orientation of university applicants with the requirements of these areas are formulated. While studying at university the applicants who met these requirements and became students showed higher indicators of professional development such as academic performance, organizational identity, involvement in studying, and satisfaction with it. Study results qualitatively correspond to the results of other studies revealing various indicators of professional orientation variability and their deterministic influence on some indicators of professional development. Conclusion. The study deduces four types of university education areas based on subjective work area (integral, object-related, human-­related and information-­related). Each type specifies requirements for applicant’s professional orientation. The correspondence between these requirements and applicant orientation turns out to be a predictor of professional development success, involvement in studying, satisfaction with it, organizational identity, and academic performance in the beginning of university education. More than 30% of the applicants who have become university students do not meet the requirements of the chosen professional activity and the university education direction.

Relevance. In the study, we discuss the neuropsychological measures and relationship of two important groups of cognitive functions, namely, executive functions and functions of activation regulation. Th e study of the structure of these functions and the possibility of assessing their state in children of preschool and primary school age by methods of neuropsychological diagnostics and computerized testing are important from two points of view. First, it is an important issue in neuropsychological practice. Second, it is one of the ways to better understand cognitive development at this age. Objectives. Development and estimation of factor models that establish the relationship between the results of neuropsychological diagnostics of various groups of cognitive functions associated with executive functions and regulation of activation. Methods.434 children from 6 to 9 years old (from senior preschoolers to third graders) participated in the study. All children underwent neuropsychological examination adapted for children of 6–9 years, and they also performed tests from a computerized neuropsychological examination battery for children of 6–9 years. Th e results were used to conduct a confi rmatory factor analysis. Results and conclusions. We proposed models that include three factors. Th e fi rst factor corresponds to executive functions and two others relate to the regulation of activation. According to our model, the functions of activation can be divided into two factors: a factor of hyperactivity/impulsivity and a factor of fatigue/sluggishness. Model fi t indices showed good agreement with empirical data. Th e combined use of indicators of both traditional and computer neuropsychological examination makes the estimations of the model better. Th us, in the study we revealed parameters of the performance on the neuropsychological tests that can be used as indicators of the state of executive functions and functions of activation regulation. Th e weakness in one of the components of activity regulation can lead to specifi c patterns of behavior which are manifested in the neuropsychological examination. A more serious and extensive defi cit of one of the functions can lead to the appearance either of attention defi cit hyperactivity disorder or of sluggish cognitive tempo.