---
title: "NMT-2027: Admission Campaign Format Might Be Approved Late — Parliament Fears Delays"
description: "Head of the VR Education Committee Serhiy Babak warned that some MPs want to consider the NMT-2027 bill in two readings, which could delay the approval of the admission campaign format. The committee recommends keeping the four-subject model, but a number of MPs are pushing to cancel mandatory mathematics."
date: 2026-11-02T16:03:13.325Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nmt-2027-format-uncertainty-vr
tags: [nmt-2027, ukraine-education, admission-campaign, verkhovna-rada, high-school-exams]
author: "Marina Slivenko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

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

![Young female student thoughtfully sitting at a desk with books and a laptop in the evening](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/02/nmt-2027-format-nesopredelennost-vr/nmt-2027-format-nesopredelennost-vr-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The VR Education Committee recommended adopting bill No. 15440, preserving the NMT model of three mandatory and one elective subject
- Serhiy Babak warned about an attempt by some deputies to delay consideration through two readings and remove mandatory mathematics
- President Zelenskyy announced a possible permission to retake the NMT during the academic year and conduct tests in shelters
- Minister Butenko supports keeping mathematics but is ready to discuss its weight in the final score
- The final rules for NMT-2027 as of November 2, 2026, have not been approved

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.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Формат НМТ-2027 могут утвердить с опозданием: Бабак заявил о затягивании рассмотрения](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/format-nmt-2027-mozhut-zatverditi-iz-zapiznennyam-1793634486.html) - Primary source: Babak's statement on two readings, committee recommendation on bill No. 15440, arguments by Hryshina and Borzova
- [В 2027 году НМТ могут разрешить сдавать дважды: Зеленский анонсировал реформу](https://zn.ua/UKRAINE/v-2027-hodu-ekzameny-nmt-vozmozhno-razreshat-sdavat-dvazhdy-zelenskij-anonsiroval-reformu.html) - Zelenskyy's statement at the youth forum on retakes, shelters, intensity reduction; discussions with Korechny and Butenko
- [Математика на НМТ-2027 останется обязательной: что хотят изменить во вступительных тестах](https://ura-inform.com/obshhestvo/2026/08/21/matematika-na-nmt-2027-ostanetsya-obyazatelnoj-chto-hotyat-izmenit-vo-vstupitelnyh-testah/) - Butenko's position on keeping mathematics and readiness to discuss its weight; discussion of a flexible model in the MES
- [НМТ-2027: в Минобразования раскрыли планы нового формата тестирования](https://kp.ua/life/a734855-novyj-format-nmt-2027-v-minobrazovanija-raskryli-plany-novoho-formata-testirovanija) - Confirmation that the MES is working on updating the procedure

## FAQ

### How many subjects will be in NMT-2027 according to the committee's recommendation?

The committee recommends keeping the current model: three mandatory subjects (Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine) and one subject of the applicant's choice.

### Why hasn't the NMT-2027 format been approved yet?

Bill No. 15440 has not yet been voted on by the Verkhovna Rada. Some deputies intend to consider it in two readings, which may delay the decision. In addition, presidential initiatives to reform the procedure are being discussed in parallel.

### Will it be possible to retake the NMT in 2027?

President Zelenskyy announced the possibility of allowing graduates to retake the NMT within one academic year. The final decision will be made after the approval of relevant norms.

### Will mathematics remain a mandatory subject?

The committee and Minister Butenko advocate for keeping mathematics in the mandatory part. However, a number of deputies are trying to achieve its cancellation. Butenko is ready to discuss the weight of mathematics in the final assessment, but not its exclusion.