Oksana Lisovy stated that discussions about the excessive difficulty of the test are an attempt to discourage applicants and assured that the ministry will not support the parliamentary bill to abolish mandatory mathematics in the NMT.
Oksana Lisovy
Myths surrounding the National Multisubject Test (NMT) are often maliciously aimed at undermining an applicant’s belief in educational opportunities in Ukraine.
This was stated by the Minister of Education and Science, Oksana Lisovy, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
“The NMT is a format for the war period. Ideally, in the future, we should transition to the ZNO. But in any format, the Ministry of Education clearly stands on the position: a test that allows university admission involves basic knowledge, such as reading, writing, and counting, plus one elective subject. Therefore, I am categorically against abolishing mathematics and moving it to elective subjects,” Lisovy told journalists on Monday in Kyiv.
The Minister also noted the same regarding the subject “History of Ukraine”: it must be included in the NMT tests.
Regarding the possibility of easing the testing, Lisovy added that the test is the same for everyone, and if it is eased or made more difficult, it will affect the overall average scores of applicants, and competition for university places will remain.
Lisovy also drew attention to the fact that the percentage of children who do not pass the NMT with the minimum passing score is extremely low today, hovering around 20%.
“This indicates that the test is accessible and it is possible to pass it, and university admission has a threshold of basic knowledge, and this threshold is not too high,” he added.
Concerning the complexity of this year’s NMT, the minister stated that one often encounters myths, which are sometimes malicious and aimed at discouraging young people from their opportunities in Ukraine and pushing them towards studying abroad.
“I want to note that choosing the NMT is not mandatory. If we want to go to university, we choose to take this test. If we feel insecure and understand that we are not ready for the test, it causes us some stress, choosing vocational education or career training is also a good choice,” he emphasized, noting that the Ministry of Education would like more young people to choose vocational education, as the demand is extremely high.
Lisovy added that his first education was also professional, and this did not prevent him from building a career further and entering university in the future.
Mathematics in the NMT: what is being debated
As reported, this year’s NMT is being conducted according to last year’s model – in one day with the possibility of additional sessions. The list of NMT subjects remains unchanged – applicants take Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine, and one elective subject: foreign language, biology, geography, physics, chemistry, or Ukrainian literature.
In social networks, as last year, discussions are ongoing about the fact that this year’s tasks are more difficult than last year’s, particularly in mathematics.
Against this backdrop of discussion, the head of the subcommittee on higher education of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, Yulia Hryshyna, along with 50 deputies, registered an alternative bill (No. 15254-1) to the government’s bill regarding the reduction of the number of NMT subjects in 2027 and changing the status of mathematics from mandatory to elective.
In turn, Minister of Education Oksana Lisovy stated that the ministry does not support this parliamentary bill, and the Ministry of Education stated that higher education involves not only acquiring professional competencies but also a person’s ability to learn, analyze information, work with algorithms, solve problems, and master complex educational programs. That is why mathematics must remain a mandatory component of university entrance examinations.
We remind you that applicants who did not pass the National Multisubject Test (NMT) in 2026 have the opportunity to use alternative options for obtaining education or take a break from studies.
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