Ukraine's Ombudsman Calls for Lower NMT Passing Score, Citing Curriculum Mismatch

Ukraine's Ombudsman Speaks Out on the National Multi-Subject Test

According to Главком: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Ombudsman, has raised concerns that questions on the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT) go beyond what is taught in school. He made these remarks during a press conference marking his fourth year in office. According to Lubinets, the Minister of Education and Science acknowledged the issue, but the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) has not confirmed this position. The MES maintains that all NMT tasks align with the official curriculum.

Lubinets also voiced concern over the mandatory competitive threshold score for the NMT, urging that it be lowered to 130. On June 26, he sent a letter to Ukraine's Prime Minister requesting a reduction of the minimum score from 150 to 130, arguing that the current threshold makes it unnecessarily difficult for students to gain admission to Ukrainian universities.

“There remains a problem and a contradiction between the Ombudsman's Office and the government regarding the reduction of the minimum NMT score from 150 to 130,” – Dmytro Lubinets.

Challenges with the NMT

Lubinets highlighted several issues with the NMT, including:

• technical glitches;
• disruptions due to air raid alerts;
• psychological pressure on test takers;
• the lack of a transparent appeals process for results.

The NMT is the direct successor to the External Independent Evaluation (ZNO), which was introduced in Ukraine in 2008. The Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) was responsible for developing and implementing the ZNO.

As a result, the situation surrounding the NMT remains tense, and improving the test requires urgent discussion at the government level. It is crucial that all stakeholders, particularly the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ombudsman's Office, find common ground to refine the testing process and reduce stress for students preparing for higher education admissions.

As the debate over the NMT continues, the Education Minister has firmly dismissed calls for easing the university entrance exam requirements, despite numerous complaints from applicants. This ongoing tension highlights the broader challenges within the education system, which are further elaborated in our detailed report on the Minister's stance and its implications for students. For more insights, read about the Minister's refusal to address the concerns raised by test-takers here.