The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES) has officially stated that it is impossible to change the rules of the 2026 admission campaign under current conditions. The department rejected the idea of revising the minimum competitive score for a number of in-demand specialties, despite appeals from the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada, Dmytro Lubinets.

Why the rules cannot be changed

The MES emphasized that the regulations for the admission campaign are formed in advance and require a thorough analysis of the consequences before any adjustments are made. Spontaneous changes, according to officials, are unacceptable as they could destabilize the selection process.

"The admission campaign cannot be guided by situational decisions without a proper analysis of the consequences," the ministry noted.

The requirement for a minimum of 150 competitive points to participate in the selection (even on a contract basis) applies to specialties where the quality of training directly affects citizens' lives and the functioning of state institutions. This list includes:

  • Medical specialties;
  • Law;
  • International Relations;
  • Public Administration;
  • Certain economic fields.

The department noted that these requirements were introduced gradually and are aimed at maintaining high standards of personnel training. Furthermore, these fields traditionally demonstrate high competition.

Statistics and reality

To understand the situation, one should look at last year's data. In 2025, the average competitive score for a state-funded spot in "International Relations" was 174.34, and for "Political Science" — 172.89. This confirms the high demand for these professions and the level of competition, which significantly exceeds the minimum threshold.

The MES also urged the public to clearly distinguish between concepts. In the public sphere, it is often mistakenly said that the "ZNO passing score is 150". In fact, the issue is the minimum competitive score, which is calculated using a special formula taking coefficients into account, rather than being a direct test result.

The Ombudsman's position and the difficult situation

The initiative to lower the threshold came from Dmytro Lubinets. The Ombudsman proposed lowering the bar from 150 to 130 points. In his appeal, he argued that current test results reflect not so much the actual knowledge of graduates as the level of external stress. Constant shelling, prolonged air raids, and technical failures of the platform create conditions where objectively assessing knowledge is difficult.

In addition to lowering the scores, Lubinets also called for the right to appeal to be restored and for correct answers to be published immediately after the exams.

The ministry acknowledged that graduates have been taking the ZNO for the fifth year amidst a full-scale invasion. Understanding the complexity of the conditions, the MES reminded that for those who, for objective reasons (air raids, staying in shelters), were unable to take the test during the main session, the possibility of participating in an additional session is provided.

What applicants should do

The active phase of testing has already begun in Ukraine. Applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with the instructions in advance: exactly where to find their ZNO-2026 scores and how to obtain an official certificate with the stamp of the UCCO to avoid missing the document submission deadlines.