A high-profile conflict has erupted in the Vinnytsia region regarding the administration of the National Multidisciplinary Test (NTM). Graduate Angelina Didenko, who took the exam at Lyceum No. 22, is demanding a retake due to technical issues that, according to her, prevented her from demonstrating her knowledge. Meanwhile, the regional center for the assessment of education quality insists that there is no confirmed evidence of a glitch.
"The mouse didn't work, the timer didn't stop"
According to Angelina Didenko's statement, difficulties began right at the start of the testing on June 1. The girl claims that the computer mouse was malfunctioning, yet a replacement device was not provided. The instructor suggested using the keyboard or scrolling with the wheel, which, according to the graduate, led to chaos: the page scrolled down uncontrollably, while the time on the timer continued to tick.
The situation worsened when the computer began to freeze. During the mathematics block, problems arose with displaying information on the screen. Angelina notes that when zooming in, one of the integrals was displayed incorrectly, making it impossible to solve the problem correctly. Due to the loss of time, the girl was unable to complete the Ukrainian language block.
Reaction of the Assessment Center
After the exam, Angelina's family contacted the Vinnytsia Regional Center for the Assessment of Education Quality. According to the graduate's mother, the senior instructor confirmed the student's complaint regarding the mouse in an explanatory note and recorded a service failure. However, the family believes that the incident was not properly investigated, and the reaction of one of the officials, who advised to "appeal the decision anywhere," only intensified the outrage.
Director of the regional center Hennadii Kuzmenko, in a comment to Suspilne, denied the existence of technical problems. He noted that all equipment is checked before testing, and the system records the actions of participants. As a result of the analysis of the testing process, no confirmed facts of a glitch were found. Staff of the testing center and participants sitting nearby were also interviewed.
Statistics and Next Steps
Kuzmenko pointed out that Angelina spent the most time on mathematics — 1 hour 49 minutes, leaving only about 10 minutes for the Ukrainian language. The instructor explained that she helped adjust the text scale at the beginning, and subsequent requests mainly concerned obtaining additional sheets for drafts.
The final decision on the possible annulment of results or admission to an additional session is made by the Ukrainian Center for the Assessment of Education Quality (UCAEQ). Currently, the family's appeal is under review.
What to do in case of NTM glitches
Previously, RBC-Ukraine explained the procedure for applicants in case of technical problems or air raid alerts. If testing cannot be completed due to a power outage, internet failure, or a prolonged alert, participants may receive additional time or take the exam in an additional session after submitting an application. The UCAEQ also guarantees the checking of errors in tasks: if an error is confirmed, the task is removed from the calculation or points are awarded to all participants.