--- title: "Mathematics Becomes the Main Barrier of the 2026 NMT: Nearly 40,000 Applicants Failed to Clear the Threshold" description: "According to UCHEQA data, 48,590 people failed to clear the threshold score in at least one subject on the 2026 NMT. Nearly 40,000 of them struggled with mathematics, which has become the main barrier to university admissions." date: 2026-09-03T14:20:04.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nmt-2026-mathematics-main-barrier-applicants tags: [nmt-2026, education, mathematics, university-admissions, ukraine, uco] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Mathematics Becomes the Main Barrier of the 2026 NMT: Nearly 40,000 Applicants Failed to Clear the Threshold ![University applicants in an exam hall preparing for the 2026 NMT: a student works on a laptop while a classmate solves math problems](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/nmt-2026-matematika-glavny-barer-dlya-postupayushchikh/nmt-2026-matematika-glavny-barer-dlya-postupayushchikh-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - On the 2026 NMT, 48,590 participants (14.8% of the 329,709 who took the test) failed to clear the threshold in at least one subject. - Mathematics became the main barrier: 39,888 people failed it (12.1%), accounting for more than 82% of all failures. - 4,324 participants scored the maximum in at least one subject; English (2,194) and mathematics (1,152) lead. - The Ministry of Education is working out changes to the 2027 NMT format: testing flexibility, retakes, and stress reduction. According to the results of the 2026 National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) published by the Ukrainian Center for Higher Education Quality Assessment (UCHEQA), 48,590 participants failed to clear the threshold score in at least one subject. This accounts for 14.8% of all those who actually took the test. In total, nearly 360,000 people registered for the 2026 NMT, while 329,709 participants actually sat the test. Thus, more than one in seven test-takers failed to reach the minimum threshold in at least one subject, making mathematics the key "filter" for university admissions. ### Mathematics β€” the Main Admissions Barrier The most problematic subject turned out to be mathematics: 39,888 participants failed to clear its threshold, representing 12.1% of all those who took this test. For comparison, 6,217 people failed the Ukrainian language, while only 1,283 failed the History of Ukraine. This means that more than 82% of all failures were due to mathematics. Since mathematics is a mandatory NMT subject for all applicants, it is this subject that most significantly affects the total number of applicants who are denied access to the competition for higher education institutions. ### Who Scored the Maximum on the Test Despite the difficulty of the test, 4,324 participants managed to achieve the maximum score in at least one subject. The highest number of "perfect scorers" was recorded in English β€” 2,194 people β€” and in mathematics β€” 1,152. The maximum score in the History of Ukraine was achieved by 366 participants, in Ukrainian β€” 267, in Ukrainian literature β€” 175, and in physics β€” 52. The fewest maximum scores were recorded in French β€” just 2 β€” and in Spanish β€” 5. ### Context: the Push for a 2027 NMT Reform The test results came amid discussions of changes to the exam format. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier called on the Ministry of Education and Science to review the format of the 2027 NMT in order to reduce the burden on children during the war. Education and Science Minister Andriy Boutenko stated that the ministry is already working out changes. Among the likely innovations are greater flexibility in testing, the possibility of retaking the exam, and measures to reduce stress for applicants. ### What This Means for Applicants The 2026 NMT statistics confirm that mathematics remains the decisive factor in admissions: it is precisely a failure in this subject that eliminates from the competition the overwhelming majority of those who did not clear the threshold. At the same time, a high level of preparation in a number of subjects is maintained, as evidenced by the thousands of maximum scores. For those applying in 2027, the key question will be what specific changes to the testing format and retake policy the Ministry of Education adopts in response to the president's directive. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Mathematics Becomes the Main Barrier of the 2026 NMT: Nearly 40,000 Participants Failed It](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/matematika-stala-golovnim-bar-erom-nmt-2026-1788444190.html) - ΠŸΠ΅Ρ€Π²ΠΈΡ‡Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ источник Ρ†ΠΈΡ„Ρ€ ΠΎΡ‚Ρ‡Ρ‘Ρ‚Π° УЦОКО: 48 590 Π½Π΅ ΠΏΡ€Π΅ΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»Π΅Π»ΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ³ (14,8%), ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚Π΅ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ΠΈΠΊΠ° 39 888 (12,1%), украинский 6 217, история 1 283, максимум 4 324. - [2026 NMT: How Many Points Are Needed at Minimum to Pass the Exam](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/nmt-2026-skilki-minimalno-treba-nabrati-baliv-1774278602.html) - ΠŸΠ΅Ρ€Π²ΠΈΡ‡Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ источник Ρ†ΠΈΡ„Ρ€ ΠΎΡ‚Ρ‡Ρ‘Ρ‚Π° УЦОКО: 48 590 Π½Π΅ ΠΏΡ€Π΅ΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»Π΅Π»ΠΈ ΠΏΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ³ (14,8%), ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚Π΅ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ΠΈΠΊΠ° 39 888 (12,1%), украинский 6 217, история 1 283, максимум 4 324. - [2026 NMT: Motivation Letters to Be Abolished and Results From Any Year Since 2023 Counted](https://kp.ua/life/a721976-nmt-2026-otmenjat-motivatsionnye-pisma-i-uchtut-rezultaty-za-ljuboj-hod-s-2023-ho) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ контСкст Ρ€Π΅Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡ‹ НМВ ΠΈ измСнСния Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚Π° тСстирования, обсуТдаСмыС ΠœΠΈΠ½ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡΠ²Π΅Ρ‰Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ. - [2026 NMT: How to Check Your Scores Right After the Test and When to Expect Official Results](https://ura-inform.com/akczent-ru/2026/05/20/nmt-2026-kak-uznat-bally-srazu-posle-testa-i-kogda-ozhidat-oficzialnyh-rezultatov/) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΎ ΠΏΠΎ источнику ura-inform.com ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many participants failed to clear the threshold on the 2026 NMT? **A:** 48,590 people failed to clear the threshold score in at least one subject, which is 14.8% of the 329,709 participants who took the test. ### Q: Which subject turned out to be the most difficult? **A:** Mathematics: 39,888 participants failed to clear its threshold (12.1%), and it accounted for more than 82% of all failures. ### Q: How many people scored the maximum? **A:** 4,324 participants achieved the maximum result in at least one subject; the most were in English (2,194) and mathematics (1,152). ### Q: Will the NMT format change in 2027? **A:** The Ministry of Education is working out changes: greater testing flexibility, the possibility of retaking the exam, and reduced stress for applicants are expected.