They want to make the history of Ukraine an elective subject on the NMT-2027: what is known

Recently, possible changes to the National Multisubject Test in Ukraine have been actively discussed. In particular, discussions revolve around the list of mandatory subjects for admission to higher education institutions. One of the most controversial topics has been the mandatory mathematics exam: a draft law No. 15254-1 was even registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to make this subject elective.

However, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Education and Science currently do not support such initiatives. Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko stated that there is currently no possibility to move mathematics to the category of elective subjects. The Minister of Education, Oksen Lisovyi, previously expressed a similar position. The Ministry of Education emphasizes that both mathematics and the history of Ukraine should remain mandatory components of the NMT, as they allow checking the basic level of knowledge of applicants.

Amid these discussions, an electronic petition was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers demanding a review of the status of another mandatory subject — the history of Ukraine.

The authors of the petition urge the government to consider the possibility of canceling the mandatory National Multisubject Test in the history of Ukraine, as well as the external independent evaluation in this subject in case the ZNO system returns starting in 2027.

According to the petition initiators, mandatory testing in the history of Ukraine creates an additional burden for school graduates. They note that many applicants demonstrate high results in Ukrainian language, mathematics, literature, foreign languages, and other disciplines, but due to lower scores in history, they cannot fully realize their chances of admission to chosen educational institutions. This especially concerns specialties for which history is not a profile subject or has a minor weighting coefficient.

The petition authors also believe that the mandatory nature of the history of Ukraine places graduates in unequal conditions, as preparing for four subjects simultaneously requires significant effort and time. In their opinion, the large volume of material for preparing for the history test becomes a source of stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion for many students, which can negatively affect motivation to study and overall success in the final year of schooling.

At the same time, the authors emphasize that they do not deny the importance of the history of Ukraine as an academic discipline and a component of national consciousness formation. However, they believe that the knowledge gained at school is sufficient to form a patriotic stance and understanding of key historical processes, and mandatory testing in this subject during university admission is an excessive requirement.

The petition also expresses the opinion that more in-depth study of history should be provided already in higher education institutions. According to the authors, this will allow students at a more mature age to better understand historical events and their impact on the present.

Moreover, the petition initiators argue that the requirement for an equally high level of knowledge in history for all applicants is unjustified. They believe that due to fear of receiving a low score in this subject, some talented graduates choose to study abroad or refuse admission to Ukrainian universities altogether. In their opinion, this negatively affects the number of applicants and the competitiveness of the admission campaign.

In this regard, the authors of petition No. 41/010126-26ep propose to make the history of Ukraine an elective subject within the NMT. They believe that each applicant should independently determine the list of subjects to take according to the requirements of the chosen specialty and their own academic abilities.

At the same time, the petition proposes to keep only the Ukrainian language and mathematics as mandatory subjects. According to the petition authors, this will support state priorities in education while reducing the burden on graduates and creating more flexible conditions for admission to higher education institutions.

As previously reported by the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper," due to war risks, the government proposes to change the admission campaign rules and exempt schoolchildren from the state final certification. Since there is a need for legislative regulation of a flexible and safe admission algorithm in 2027, draft law No. 15254 "On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding State Final Certification and the 2027 Admission Campaign" was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.

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