Abstract
The modern era of educational development faces large-scale problems that are emerging in society. This fact affects the state of education, which cannot at the moment be limited to the transmission of sociocultural norms. The current education system needs to develop the individual’s capacity to find and fill socio-economic and socio-psychological niches. This ability can enable individuals to successfully realize themselves, be ready to cater for the demands based on positive communication and the principle of social responsibility. The competence based approach is proved to be an effective solution to all the abovementioned issues. The article considers the competence based approach in modern education, the definitions of competence based approach, competences and competencies presented by foreign, Russian and domestic scientists. Classifications of key competences put forward by various scholars in the field of education are also described.