NMT-2027: Admission Campaign Format Might Be Approved Late — Parliament Fears Delays

Applicants to Ukrainian universities may spend a few more months in uncertainty regarding the format of the National Multisubject Test (NMT) for 2027. According to information obtained by RBC-Ukraine from a statement by Serhiy Babak, Head of the Verkhovna Rada Education Committee, some MPs intend to consider the admission campaign bill in two readings. Such a scenario, according to Babak himself, could delay the final decision until next year, whereas graduates who have already started preparing for the testing need clarity as soon as possible.

What the Committee Recommends and What Deputies Fear

The Verkhovna Rada Education Committee recommended that parliament adopt bill No. 15440 as a basis and in general. The document provides for maintaining the current NMT model: three mandatory subjects — Ukrainian language, mathematics, and history of Ukraine — and one elective subject chosen by the applicant. Specific testing parameters, including duration, number of testing days, and retake conditions, will be determined by the Ministry of Education and Science. However, as Babak warned, an attempt by a number of parliamentarians to introduce amendments, in particular canceling mandatory mathematics and «dragging out the process» by switching to two readings, is already visible. The committee head expressed confidence that parliament will support the recommendation and preserve the four-subject model.

Discussion on the Number of Subjects: Arguments from Both Sides

The dispute over how many subjects should be included in the NMT has been ongoing since the summer of 2026. Yuliia Hryshina, Head of the Higher Education Subcommittee, advocated for reducing the testing to three subjects, citing children's exhaustion, regular air raid alerts, and unequal exam conditions, especially in frontline regions. MP Iryna Borzova also supported simplifying the admission campaign, explaining this by the need to keep Ukrainian graduates in domestic universities: according to her, some young people choose to study abroad precisely because of simpler admission conditions. The opposite position is held by Minister of Education and Science Andriy Butenko, who stated in August 2026 that mathematics is «an integral part of the national multisubject test,» although he is ready to discuss its weight in forming the final grade, task difficulty, and verification methodology.

Reform from the President: Retakes, Shelters, and Reduced Intensity

A separate vector of changes was outlined by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Ukrainian Youth Forum «Youth Acts.» He stated that in 2027, the rules for conducting the NMT could change significantly: graduates, in particular, may be allowed to retake the test during one academic year. Zelenskyy urged reducing the testing intensity, reviewing the schedule, and conducting it in prepared technical shelters so that results do not depend on air raids. According to him, the issue has already been discussed with Prime Minister Serhiy Korechny, Education Minister Andriy Butenko, and the Presidential Office team. Thus, parallel to the parliamentary consideration of bill No. 15440, a presidential request for a deeper reform of the procedure is forming.

Context: What Applicants Themselves Say

Against the background of political debates, feedback from applicants themselves should also be taken into account. According to a survey conducted in 2026, 62% of applicants expressed satisfaction with the scores obtained on the NMT. At the same time, almost a quarter of surveyed first-year students did not enter their desired specialty or university. These figures emphasize that even with the current model maintained, a significant portion of graduates face uncertainty at the distribution stage. That is why, as Babak emphasizes, delaying the decision-making in two readings creates additional stress for those who have already started preparation and rely on clear rules of the game.

Currently, the final rules for NMT-2027 have not been approved. The Ministry of Education and Science continues working on updating the procedure, and in the Verkhovna Rada, bill No. 15440 is awaiting a vote. The final format — the number of subjects, the possibility of retakes, conditions of execution under martial law — will be determined after the completion of parliamentary procedures, the timelines of which, as Babak warns, may shift in the event of a transition to two readings.