Key Results from the 2026 National Multi-Subject Test Main Sessions
The Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) has released the final results for the main sessions of the 2026 National Multi-Subject Test (NMT). The proportion of test-takers who failed to meet the minimum passing score in at least one subject rose to 14.83%. Only two participants achieved the maximum score across all four subjects. For the first time, geography surpassed English as the most popular elective subject.
Main testing sessions took place from May 20 to June 25, 2026. A total of 354,463 individuals registered for the exam, with 324,284 actually sitting for it—representing 91.49% of registrants. Participants included:
- 191,051 graduates from the class of 2026;
- 52,505 students from vocational and pre-higher education programs;
- 7,952 students from professional (trade) education;
- 102,955 graduates from previous years.
Testing occurred both within Ukraine, where 336,737 participants took the exam, and abroad, with 17,726 participants.
A total of 275,934 participants (85.09%) passed the threshold across all four subjects. For comparison, this figure was 86.47% in 2025 and 85.60% in 2024. Some 14.83% of participants—nearly 49,000 individuals—failed to achieve the minimum score in at least one subject. In 2025, this rate was 13.51%, and in 2024, it was 14.38%. Among 2026 school graduates, 12.96% did not meet the threshold, compared to 12.36% in 2025 and 13.23% in 2024.
Statistics show that 3,671 participants earned a perfect score (200) in at least one subject. A total of 259 participants achieved a perfect score in two subjects, 28 in three, and only two participants scored 200 in all four subjects. The highest number of perfect scores came from English (2,164) and mathematics (1,145), while the lowest among mandatory subjects was Ukrainian language (266). The passing threshold for Ukrainian language rose to 8 test points, and for History of Ukraine, to 9 test points.
Geography Gains Popularity
For the first time in NMT history, geography overtook English as the most popular elective subject. UCEQA noted that 'a significant increase in the share of previous-year graduates among registrants this year had a substantial impact on the statistics.' The Ministry of Education added that 'geography is more frequently chosen by previous-year graduates, whose proportion grew markedly this year.'
An additional NMT session is scheduled for July 17–24, 2026.
The rise in the share of applicants failing to meet the threshold may indicate increasing demands on participant knowledge, as well as shifts in test preparation strategies. The growing popularity of geography among previous-year graduates could reflect changing interests and labor market needs. The planned additional NMT session will offer those who did not pass during the main period a chance to improve their scores and gain admission to higher education institutions.
As the results of the 2026 National Multi-Subject Test raise concerns about student performance, it's important to note that there will be no option to contest the outcomes. This lack of appeal process may further complicate matters for those who did not achieve the necessary scores, highlighting the urgency for students and educators to understand the implications of these results.