Up to 20% of graduates fail the National Multidisciplinary Test each year — Ministry of Education
The percentage of graduates who fail to meet the minimum passing score on the National Multidisciplinary Test hovers around 20%—which indicates that the test is accessible rather than difficult.
Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi cited this figure in comments to journalists—in response to discussions about the excessive difficulty of the NMT and a proposal to make mathematics optional. According to him, the figure has remained stable year after year and only confirms that the threshold for basic knowledge required for university admission is not set too high.
Lisovyi noted that the NMT was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been administered under martial law. This year, the main testing sessions began on May 20 and will continue through June 25. Over 350,000 people have registered for the 2026 NMT.
The minister categorically rejected the idea of removing mathematics from the list of required subjects. In his view, the NMT should test three basic skills: reading, writing, and arithmetic.
“I am categorically opposed to eliminating mathematics or moving it to the category of elective subjects. And any other subjects, Ukrainian history in particular. Ukrainian history is a fundamental worldview subject that concerns identity and understanding the path of one’s nation,” Lisovyi stated.
The government has already submitted a draft law on admission requirements for 2027—it retains the current model: Ukrainian language, mathematics, and Ukrainian history remain mandatory, with a fourth subject chosen by the student. The parliamentary initiative to move mathematics to the list of elective subjects did not find support from the Ministry of Education.
Lisovyi also emphasized that higher education is not the only path. A network of vocational colleges is developing in Ukraine, where students can obtain a profession after the 11th grade and immediately enter the labor market.
“Given the labor shortage we face today, this is also a very good option,” the minister emphasized.
An alternative bill to change the format of the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The document proposes reducing the number of subjects to be tested from four to three. In this case, mathematics would become an elective subject.
The registration in the Verkhovna Rada of a bill proposing to remove mathematics from the list of mandatory NMT subjects starting in 2027 has sparked outrage in the educational and scientific communities.
