For future students planning to build their careers in the arts, design industry, or architecture, the 2026 admissions campaign brings significant changes. Registration for creative competitions opens on July 3, but time is working against applicants: seats in classrooms are limited, and the registration system requires maximum promptness.
The Battle for a Seat in the Classroom
The application process has been fully moved to a digital format via personal electronic cabinets. However, the key factor for success is not only timely submission but also confirmation of registration. Universities independently determine the technical capacity of classrooms and the number of sessions. If there are no seats available for the selected date, the Higher Education Institution (HEI) has the full right to refuse participation in the competition.
Applicants are strongly advised to register as early as possible. The application must receive the status "confirmed." The status "cancelled" means the seat is not secured, and participation becomes impossible. In case of overlapping competition dates at different universities, applicants will have to show flexibility and closely monitor the status of their applications.
The Result of the Creative Exam is More Important Than Math
The main change in the rules of the game concerns weighting coefficients. For most creative specialties, the result of the competition itself has become the determining factor in calculating the competitive score.
Nikolay Trofimenko, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, confirmed that for artistic fields — architecture, design, fine arts, music, and audiovisual arts — the coefficient for the creative competition has been increased from 0.6 to 0.7. In contrast, the weight of mathematics in the competitive score has been reduced to 0.075, which is less than 10%.
"For most creative specialties, the weight of the creative competition has increased. For such specialties, the result of the competition itself has a greater influence on the competitive score," the official noted in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Cancellation of Competitions and Remote Format
Despite the tightening of requirements for artists and architects, the rules have been relaxed for some fields. This year, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) cancelled the creative competition for cultural studies specialties.
As for the format of taking the exam, while there is a general requirement for physical presence, the MES made an exception for four categories of applicants who are allowed to participate in the competition remotely. This allows for expanded access to education for those who do not have the opportunity to physically arrive at the university.
Transparency and Deadlines
The evaluation system remains strict: applicants receive scores on a scale from 100 to 200, or the commission delivers a verdict of "unsatisfactory." Results of creative competitions are published on the official websites of universities no later than the day following the exam. It is there that data on the minimum passing threshold and final lists of the distribution of budget and contract seats are also posted.
Context of the 2026 Campaign
It is important to remember the general chronology of the admissions campaign. Registration of electronic cabinets started on July 1, and the submission of applications themselves will begin on July 19. This year, the number of applications an applicant can submit has been reduced to 10 (of which 5 are for budget seats).
Against the backdrop of these changes, proposals to lower the threshold are also being heard. Earlier, the Union of Rectors appealed to the MES with a request to lower the minimum competitive score for elite specialties from 150 to 130 points. However, the department rejected this proposal, stating that it would not review the minimum score for individual fields.
