A record number of participants have registered for the 2026 National University Entrance Exam following the cancellation of the External Independent Testing
This year, Ukrainian college applicants will take the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) for the fifth time. During the main registration period, more than 347,000 applicants have already submitted their applications, marking a record high since 2022. There is also a trend toward a decrease in the number of applicants who will take the NMT abroad. Before the full-scale war began, Ukrainian applicants took the External Independent Testing (EIT). Specifically, in 2021, 389,300 people registered for the test. In 2022, the Verkhovna Rada abolished the ZNO and introduced the National Multisubject Test (NMT). The new format was adapted to wartime and security conditions: the test is administered online, lasts one day, and does not require essay-style answers. The first NMT in 2022 attracted 206,400 participants, 25,000 of whom took the test abroad. The test lasted 120 minutes and contained 60 questions—20 each in Ukrainian language, mathematics, and Ukrainian history. In 2023, the number of applicants rose to 281,200 (23,300 abroad), and the test duration was extended to 180 minutes. In 2024, 287,800 people registered, while the number of participants abroad decreased to 19,900. The locations where the test could be taken were also expanded to include Azerbaijan, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden. In 2025, 317,100 applicants took the NMT, of whom 20,500 took the test outside Ukraine. In 2026, according to the Ministry of Education and Science, over 347,000 applicants registered for the NMT during the main registration period—the highest figure since the start of the full-scale war. At the same time, the number of participants taking the test abroad dropped to 18,000—the lowest figure since 2022. Registration ran from March 5 to April 2. The main EIT session will take place from May 20 to June 25, and the supplementary session from July 17 to 24, 2026. As in previous years, the required subjects remain: Elective subjects include: The testing will take place over the course of one day in two sessions, each covering two subjects with a break in between. Thus, the NMT has definitively replaced the ZNO, becoming more flexible and adapted to wartime conditions, while retaining its function as the primary tool for admission to higher education institutions in Ukraine. Registration for the National Multisubject Test (NMT) is currently underway in Ukraine and abroad. The service “Vstup.OSVITA.UA” has publishedinformation on the number of points required on the National Multisubject Test for admission to state-funded programs. Thanks to this data, applicants can find out the minimum passing requirements for admission to specific higher education institutions in Ukraine.
