The article features a diagnostic study of professional interest and professional choice motivation in first- and second-year students of Kemerovo Pedagogical College. The research objective was to determine their initial level of professional interest to various aspects of pedagogical activity, e.g. organizational, communicative, methodical, etc. The study also featured motivation and level of communicative and organizational abilities. The research was based on the questionnaire method. The

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... alysis involved cognitive, emotional, volitional, and activity criteria. Professional motivation was studied by the method of "Self-Assessment of Professional and Pedagogical Motivation" as adapted by N. P. Fetiskin and by R. V. Ovcharova's "Motives for Choosing a Profession". The development level of communicative and organizational abilities was performed on the basis of "Communicative and Organizational Skills" by V. A. Fedoroshin and V. V. Sinyavsky. The obtained data made it possible to determine the level of professional interest in junior students and to identify critical aspects of their professional training. The results can be applied both for the organization of educational and extracurricular activities or for individual academic disciplines, interdisciplinary courses, and professional modules.