Education Minister Dismisses Myths About Ukraine's 'Impossibly Hard' Exam, Highlights Student Success.

Statement from Ukraine's Minister of Education and Science

According to Novyny.live: Ukraine's Education Minister, Oksen Lisovyi, has pushed back against what he calls information attacks on the National Multi-Subject Test (NMT). He argues these attacks are creating false narratives about the exam's difficulty, which in turn demotivates Ukrainian teenagers. Instead, he highlighted strong student performance, particularly in English, and urged the public not to fall for manipulation.

According to Lisovyi, exam results prove that Ukrainian students are exceptionally well-prepared. He pointed to last year's statistics, which show teenagers performed strongly in the foreign language test. The minister emphasized that

“the myth last year was that it’s impossible to pass English, that even native speakers can’t pass it. Our average score—our completely average peak indicator—shows that our students’ average scores are higher than those of native speakers.”

Debate Over NMT Reforms

Discussions are ongoing in Ukraine about reforming the NMT, including a possible reduction in the number of required exam subjects. However, both Yuliia Svyrydenko and Oksen Lisovyi have spoken out against removing mathematics from the mandatory section. This issue remains urgent, as concerns about test preparation continue to grow.

Notably, during the NMT in the Odesa region, test-takers spent roughly 13 hours in shelters and exam halls. This highlights the serious challenges students face while taking the exam. Ukraine's Ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, is also demanding changes to the NMT regulations, underscoring the need for the education system to adapt to current conditions.

Lisovyi added,

“It was a targeted attack, an information and psychological operation, a communication campaign saying, 'Oh, nothing is possible here, it’s terribly hard to study here.'”

The debate over NMT reform and test preparation challenges comes amid the ongoing hardships of war. It is crucial for the education system to respond to these challenges and adapt to new realities, while continuing to support students. Government and educators' efforts should aim to boost young people's motivation and success, which is especially vital for the country's future.