Adjustments to admission requirements for the Pharmacy specialty
Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science has decided to reduce the minimum competitive score for entry into the Pharmacy program from 150 to 140 points. This change is a direct response to the ongoing war and the need to adapt the admissions system to current realities. Additionally, for state-supported specialties, the threshold for transferring to vacant state-funded slots has been lowered to 120 points.
According to the Ministry, 150 points is not the passing mark for the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT), but it serves as the minimum competitive score for certain fields where graduates will be responsible for people's lives, health, rights, and safety, or will make complex managerial decisions. In this context, the Ministry states:
“These are specialties whose graduates will deal with human life and health, rights, safety, or will be required to make complex management decisions.”
Adapting admission mechanisms to wartime conditions
Separate admission mechanisms will be implemented for territories under temporary occupation (TOT) and areas of active hostilities. Regional coefficients have also been introduced for frontline higher education institutions (HEIs). This decision underscores that the state is not ignoring the realities of war. As the Ministry noted:
“At the same time, the state does not ignore the real circumstances of the war. That is why adaptive decisions have been made: for Pharmacy, the minimum competitive score has been reduced to 140; for transfer to vacant state-funded places in specialties with special state support, applicants with 120 points instead of 130 can now participate; separate admission mechanisms are in place for TOT and active combat zones; and regional coefficients apply to frontline HEIs.”
In addition, the Ukrainian government has submitted a new draft law concerning admissions for 2027, under which the Ministry of Education will develop changes in cooperation with members of parliament, higher education institutions, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA), and student organizations. Ukraine's Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, has also voiced support for lowering the mandatory NMT competitive score to 130. It is worth noting that the NMT is the direct successor to the External Independent Evaluation (EIE), which was introduced in Ukraine in 2008 and developed by UCEQA.
These adjustments to admission requirements reflect the state's efforts to adapt the education system to the challenges posed by the war. Lowering competitive scores will allow more young people to access education, which is especially important under current conditions. The implementation of new admission mechanisms for conflict-affected territories also highlights the state's commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all applicants.
While the Ministry of Education has made adjustments for pharmacy programs, it has chosen not to lower the admission thresholds for other critical fields, such as medicine and law. This decision highlights the government's commitment to maintaining high standards in these essential areas. To learn more about the Ministry's stance on admission requirements for these programs, you can read further here.