The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has expressed its strong disagreement with the proposal of members of parliament to remove mathematics from the list of mandatory subjects for the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT). Oksen Lisovyi, the head of the Ministry, emphasized this position during a press conference on June 4, highlighting the importance of retaining mathematics as a mandatory exam for applicants.
This is reported by Finway
Discussion on Changes to the Admission Campaign
The Minister of Education reported that the government has already submitted a draft law to parliament that defines the conditions for admission to higher education institutions for 2027. This document corresponds to the current model of conducting the NMT, which will also be in effect in 2026, and does not foresee any changes in the status of mathematics. At the same time, an alternative draft law submitted by a separate group of deputies proposes to make mathematics an elective subject rather than mandatory. According to Lisovyi, the Ministry categorically does not support such initiatives.
“The government has submitted a draft law regarding the admission conditions for 2027, which corresponds to the conditions currently in place for 2026… We categorically do not support the alternative draft law that proposes somewhat different conditions regarding mathematics.”
The Minister emphasized that the NMT is designed to assess the basic competencies of graduates, including the ability to read, write, and calculate, thus mathematics must remain a key component of the test.
Details of the Alternative Draft Law and Features of NMT-2026
The alternative draft law, registered in the Verkhovna Rada by several dozen deputies, proposes a new model for entrance examinations for 2027. It includes two mandatory subjects – Ukrainian language and history of Ukraine – as well as one subject of choice for the applicant, among which mathematics is included. The authors of the document claim that the aim of such changes is to ensure a fair and safe admission campaign in the context of martial law, rather than lowering the requirements for applicants.
The main session of the NMT runs from May 20 to June 25. The testing is conducted according to last year’s model: applicants take exams in Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine, and one subject of choice – which can be a foreign language, biology, geography, physics, chemistry, or Ukrainian literature. Official results will appear in the personal accounts of participants by July 3, and for those who could not participate in the main session, an additional session will take place from July 17 to 24.
Due to the full-scale war with the Russian Federation, Ukraine has temporarily abandoned the traditional external independent assessment, replacing it with the NMT. In 2023, the Ministry announced changes to the structure of the test, according to which all applicants must take four subjects, namely: Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine, and one additional subject of choice. The testing is conducted in one day and lasts four hours with a 20-minute break between blocks.