The large-scale transformations of the Ukrainian educational system continue to be in the focus of public attention. In the new season of the project “What’s up with education”, the director of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, Tetiana Vakulenko, and Ukrainian teacher Petro Sitenko, detailed analyzed the transition from traditional external independent assessment to a national multi-subject test. They talked about logistical decisions, psychological aspects of long-term exams, and real performance indicators of Ukrainian entrants.
Reasons for abandoning the classical format
In February 2022, the educational system faced an unprecedented crisis that made it impossible to conduct the usual exam. The state was fully prepared for the classical external independent assessment, as it had already printed large print runs of paper booklets with basic subjects. The security situation dictated new conditions.
“But in February, we realized that it was impossible to conduct it, because the country was on fire, the enemy was everywhere,” – explains Tetiana Vakulenko.
Delivering paper materials and gathering teenagers at testing points posed a direct threat to the lives of participants. Experts had to quickly develop a tool that could guarantee a transparent entrance in the new realities.
Technological security and process optimization
The only viable solution was the transition to a computer-based exam format. This made it possible to solve the problem of physical logistics of forms and avoid the risk of losing results due to the destruction of paper media during transportation. The digitization of the process required significant financial resources.
“Here, actually, it turns out that it is not cheap, because ensuring the evaluation procedure is digital, technologically secure, equipment, it is all very expensive, we are deploying on Amazon,” – emphasizes the head of the center.
Computer testing first of all ensures the reliability of data storage and optimizes the procedure for issuing results.
Also read: Money follows the teacher. What's up with education about how the new education funding mechanism will work
Exam structure and subject content
The model of the national multi-subject test has undergone gradual changes over several years. The initial version consisted of three mandatory subjects without the possibility of choice. The current structure includes four disciplines, including the Ukrainian language, mathematics, history of Ukraine, and one subject chosen by the entrant. The preservation of the subject model instead of introducing a test of general educational competencies was a deliberate step, and the content of the tasks fully complies with the approved programs.
Adaptation to the digital environment
The specifics of computer-based assessment forced the abandonment of tasks with an extended response form. The organization of exams in thirty-three countries around the world revealed the problem of keyboard and language layout incompatibility. Entering short numerical answers in math or physics problems remains technically accessible, while writing full-fledged texts is difficult. Using an on-screen keyboard or writing essays on mobile devices contradicts the rules for conducting standardized assessments. All participants must work exclusively on stationary computers or laptops to fully reflect the conditions of the tasks.
Cognitive load of the “marathon exam”
The four-hour testing format with a twenty-minute break requires entrants to have extraordinary endurance. The previous format allowed focusing on one subject for several hours on a separate day. Teacher Petro Sitenko emphasizes the problem of concentration of modern teenagers.
“And, accordingly, it was also easier in the context of cognitive activity, because four hours, frankly, is hard in the world we live in,” – comments the educator.
Rapidly changing focus between different subjects creates additional intellectual stress, which is difficult for adult professionals to overcome.
Objectivity of assessment and passing threshold
To participate in the competitive selection, the entrant must score a minimum number of points in each subject. The threshold indicator is fifteen percent of the maximum number of test points. Overcoming this threshold indicates the presence of basic knowledge.
“Testing is comprehensive in nature, touches on very abstract things, but it will definitely not be feasible for a person who has not completed the program of general secondary education at the basic level up to 7-8 grades,” – Tetiana Vakulenko is convinced.
The accessibility of the minimum score is accompanied by the realistic complexity of obtaining high results for admission to popular specialties.
Distribution of results and ranking
The assessment system provides for a clear ranking of participants based on the points scored. A result above one hundred and sixty points is an excellent indicator, which automatically assigns the entrant to the top twenty percent of graduates. Exact sciences traditionally demonstrate a more stringent distribution of success among entrants.
“If you enter the top 180 plus in mathematics, you are in the top two percent,” – explains the head of the center.
Modern rating tables are close to the normal distribution law, where the main mass of participants is concentrated in the middle range.
Also read:
Podcast "What's up with education". Why psychological support for families of children with disabilities is becoming key
