Key points
- The Ministry of Education and Science does not plan to lower the minimum competitive score for admission to certain specialties.
- Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets asked the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education to lower the threshold due to the difficult conditions for taking the NMT during the war.
- Just in June this year, he received 21 complaints about the organization of testing.
- The Ombudsman’s application will be analyzed in the ministry with the involvement of the UCOYO, HEIs, and other responsible bodies.
- The requirement for 150 points applies to medical, legal, management, and some economic specialties – it was introduced gradually, not in 2026.
- 150 is not the result of the NMT, but the minimum competitive score, which is calculated using a formula taking into account the results of the test and weight coefficients.
The Ministry of Education and Science does not plan to change the rules of the admission campaign in 2026 and lower the minimum competitive score for admission to certain specialties from 150 to 130. This is how the department responded to the proposal of the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmitry Lubinets.
Earlier, the Ombudsman appealed to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education with a request to lower the threshold for participation in the competitive selection.
According to him, entrants have been taking the NMT for 5 years in conditions of a full-scale war – during air alarms, evacuations, prolonged stays in shelters, and technical failures. Just in June this year, he received 21 complaints about the organization of the NMT.
Lubinets also called for the return of the right to appeal regarding incorrect test tasks, to publish tests after the end of the main session, and drew attention to the problems with access to the NMT for children who are in places of detention.
In the ministry, they reported that they had already received the Ombudsman’s application. All the issues raised will be analyzed with the involvement of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, higher education institutions, and other responsible bodies.
At the same time, the Ministry of Education emphasized that the admission campaign cannot be changed due to situational decisions without a thorough assessment of the consequences.
The requirement for a minimum score of 150 was introduced gradually, so it is not a novelty of 2026.
For medical specialties, the increased threshold is explained by the need for high-quality training of future doctors, and for law, international relations, public administration, and some economic fields – by the connection of these areas with the work of state institutions and international representation of Ukraine.
Some of these specialties traditionally have a high competition. For example, in 2025, the average competitive score for admission to the budget for the specialty “International Relations” was 174.34, and for “Political Science” – 172.89.
The Ministry of Education and Science remains open to dialogue with all stakeholders – and at the same time, unwavering in that the rules of admission must be predictable, fair, and serve the long-term interests of the country, not situational tension.
– Ministry of Education and Science.
In the ministry, they also recalled that 150 is not the result of the NMT, but the minimum competitive score, which is calculated using a special formula taking into account the results of the test and weight coefficients for a specific specialty.
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Ombudsman proposes to the Cabinet and the Ministry of Education to lower the passing score of the NMT from 150 to 130
