Yuliia Grishina, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Subcommittee on Higher Education, has initiated a proposal to reduce the National Multisubject Test (NMT) for applicants in 2027 from four subjects to three. According to her proposal, Ukrainian language, mathematics, and Ukrainian history will remain mandatory, while the fourth optional subject — biology, chemistry, physics, or a foreign language — would be canceled. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, referencing Grishina's statement on Telegram.

Compromise for the Sake of Preserving Mathematics

The MP explains her position by stating that the majority of members of the parliamentary education committee advocate for keeping mathematics among the mandatory disciplines. Therefore, she notes, a “compromise option” was proposed: three subjects instead of four, effectively returning the NMT structure to the 2022 model. “We proposed a compromise option — to keep mathematics a mandatory subject while simplifying the NMT structure: three subjects instead of four, effectively returning to the 2022 NMT structure,” the publication quotes Grishina as saying. Under this model, applicants lose the opportunity to take a subject directly related to their future major.

Wartime Conditions as an Argument

Grishina justifies the initiative based on the realities of studying during wartime. According to her, shellings, power outages, and interruptions in the educational process lead to learning losses among students, and taking four subjects in a single day creates additional stress. “Taking four subjects in one day after a sleepless night due to shelling is excessive stress for a child,” the MP emphasized. She claims that reducing the test to three subjects will lower the burden on applicants while maintaining competitive admissions to higher education institutions.

The Committee Has Already Recommended a Different Model

Importantly, Grishina's proposal has not yet become the official NMT-2027 model. On October 28, the specialized Verkhovna Rada Education Committee, headed by Serhii Babak, recommended that parliament support bill No. 15440, which provides for maintaining four subjects under the “3+1” scheme: three mandatory ones (Ukrainian language, mathematics, Ukrainian history) plus one subject of the applicant's choice. Thus, the committee essentially endorsed the model that was in effect in 2026. Alternative bill No. 15440-1, which proposed three subjects but made mathematics an elective discipline, was sent back by the committee for revision. Grishina's option — three mandatory subjects with the preservation of mathematics — was discussed at the meeting but was not included in the final decision.

What's Next and Who Makes the Final Decision

The Verkhovna Rada as a whole must determine the final admission testing model for 2027. Until then, bill No. 15440 remains a committee recommendation rather than an enacted law. The Ministry of Education and Science, in turn, will be required to separately establish the organizational parameters of the exam: the number of testing days, duration, number of additional sessions, and conditions for retaking the NMT. Consequently, the committee's position could be revised in parliament in the coming weeks if Grishina's initiative receives sufficient support among deputies.

Context: Applicants' Attitudes Toward the NMT

Earlier polls showed that 62% of applicants are satisfied with the scores they received on the NMT. However, nearly a quarter of surveyed freshmen did not enter their desired major or chosen university. These data may serve as an additional argument in the discussion on whether the current test structure adequately reflects competitive admissions and whether it exerts excessive pressure on graduates preparing for admission amid the ongoing war.