The Ministry of Education and Science explained the situation regarding the disruption of the National Multidisciplinary Test due to the prolonged air raid alert in the Odesa region
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has commented on the situation that arose during the administration of the National Multisubject Test (NMT) in the Odesa region due to a prolonged air raid alert.
The Ministry noted that if an air raid alert lasts more than 2.5 hours (covering both testing sessions), the heads of temporary testing centers, in coordination with regional centers, decide on how to proceed with the exam.
In this case, participants were offered the option to complete the test and apply to take part in an additional NMT session. According to the ministry, 105 participants made this decision and submitted their applications.
At the same time, about 1,000 applicants insisted on continuing the test despite the prolonged air raid alert.
The Ministry of Education and Science also reported that during the break caused by the air raid alert, some institutions provided participants with water and food, and in some cases arranged for parents to bring necessary items. According to the ministry, no complaints were received from test participants or their parents.
Separately, the ministry commented on the situation during the National Multidisciplinary Test at Vinnytsia Lyceum No. 22, where one of the test-takers encountered technical difficulties. The applicant’s appeal has already been reviewed by the regional center for educational quality assessment, and the final decision regarding admission to the additional testing session will be made by the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment.
Earlier, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported that due to an air raid alert in the Odesa region, EIT participants were forced to remain in shelters for nearly 13 hours, effectively disrupting the testing.
Education Ombudsman Nadiya Leshchyk noted that it is currently impossible to provide shelters for all NMT participants in Odesa, but this issue must be resolved by 2027.
Public debate continues regarding the difficulty of the NMT tasks, particularly in mathematics. Against this backdrop, a bill has been introduced in the Verkhovna Rada proposing to make mathematics an optional subject on the test starting in 2027.
At the same time, Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that they do not support this initiative, emphasizing that mathematics will remain mandatory.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, in turn, noted that the NMT is increasingly perceived not only as an admission tool but as a test of resilience to systemic challenges during wartime.
This was reported by the agency.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment commented on the situation in the Odesa region, where participants in the National Multidisciplinary Test spent nearly 13 hours at the testing center due to prolonged air raid alerts. According to the agency, graduates were offered the option to reschedule the exam for an additional session, but they refused and decided to wait until the testing was completed and take the NMT on the same day.
An alternative bill to change the format of the National Multisubject Test (NMT) has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. The document proposes reducing the number of subjects from four to three. In this case, mathematics would be an elective subject.
The registration in the Verkhovna Rada of a bill proposing to remove mathematics from the list of mandatory subjects for the NMT starting in 2027 has sparked outrage in the educational and scientific communities.
