In 2026, the admission campaign to institutions of professional higher education will take place under updated rules. The key change is that the selection of applicants will be carried out primarily through creative competitions or individual oral interviews. However, graduates of 11th grade are provided with the opportunity to replace the interview with results from the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT).

Creative Competitions and Interviews

According to the new Admission Procedure, creative competitions will be mandatory for specialties, the list of which will be determined by the Ministry of Education and Science. For other directions, applicants will have to undergo an individual oral interview in one or two subjects directly at the educational institution.

It is important to note that if the rules of a specific college provide for it, motivational letters will also be taken into account during the competitive selection. All programs for interviews, creative competitions, and document requirements must be published by universities on their official websites, clearly indicating the criteria for evaluating applicants. At the same time, the tasks of creative competitions cannot go beyond the published programs.

Admission Formats for Different Categories of Applicants

Admission rules vary depending on the applicant's level of education:

  • 9th-grade graduates: Competitive selection is conducted in two formats — either through a creative competition or through an individual interview.
  • 11th-grade graduates: They have the same options as 9th-grade graduates. However, they have a unique advantage — the ability to provide NMT results instead of an interview.
  • Qualified workers: Applicants based on the corresponding educational level undergo an individual interview or a creative competition with mandatory consideration of a motivational letter.

Use of NMT Results

Applicants who decide to replace the individual interview with test results can use NMT scores from 2023, 2024, 2025, or 2026. The calculation of the competitive score in this case has its own specifics:

  • The average score is determined for all NMT subjects without the use of weighting coefficients.
  • The resulting score is increased by 25%.
  • The final score cannot exceed 200.

Organization and Security of the Process

The format of conducting interviews and creative competitions is determined independently by each educational institution, but with mandatory compliance with safety and sanitary standards. To ensure transparency and control, materials of entrance exams, including video recordings, will be stored for at least one year, after which they are destroyed in the prescribed manner.

Start of the Campaign and Study Conditions

The admission campaign to professional education institutions in Ukraine began on June 25. It includes graduates of 9th and 11th grades, as well as adults wishing to get a new profession or change their field of activity. In 2026, the campaign is taking place without significant changes in terms of financing: most students can still study at the expense of the state or regional budget, receive a scholarship, and a place in the dormitory.