Mathematics cannot be removed from the National Multidisciplinary Test: Lisovyi explained the Ministry of Education and Science’s position
5 June 06:19
Oksen Lisovyi, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, has spoken out against removing mathematics from the list of required subjects on the National Multidisciplinary Test. As stated in the minister’s Facebook post, mathematics is not a barrier to admission but remains an important tool for assessing graduates’ basic readiness for higher education, reports "Komersant Ukrainian"
The minister made this statement amid a debate over a bill proposing to reduce the number of required subjects on the NMT and retain only Ukrainian language and Ukrainian history. Under this initiative, applicants would choose the third subject themselves.
Lisovyi explained why mathematics should be mandatory
Oksen Lisovyi emphasized that the main goal of mathematics in entrance exams is not to turn every graduate into a mathematician, but to test their basic competencies.
According to the minister, these are the skills that a modern person needs for learning, work, and everyday life: logical thinking, the ability to work with data, analyze information, identify patterns, and make informed decisions.
That is why, in the opinion of the head of the Ministry of Education and Science, mathematics must remain a mandatory component of admission to Ukrainian universities.
The NMT math questions align with the school curriculum
Lysovyi also responded to criticisms regarding the test’s difficulty. He stated that the questions fully align with the school curriculum.
Moreover, he said, some of the test questions cover material from only grades 5–7. In other words, no advanced knowledge or complex specialized skills are required to pass the threshold.
The minister noted that to meet the minimum passing score in math, students need only score 5 points on the test.
“To pass the cutoff score, it is enough to score just 5 test points. In other words, this is not about in-depth knowledge, but about basic mathematical literacy,” stated the head of the Ministry of Education.
According to Lisovyi, the very fact that the question of abolishing mathematics as a required subject is being raised indicates not a problem with the test itself, but serious challenges in the quality of education.
Separately, the minister cited the results of the international PISA-2022 study. According to him, over 40% of Ukrainian teenagers do not even reach the basic level of mathematical literacy.
“Unfortunately, the results of the international PISA-2022 study showed that over 40% of Ukrainian teenagers do not even reach the basic level of mathematical literacy,” said the head of the Ministry of Education.
Lisovyi emphasized that this should serve as a signal not to lower standards, but rather to improve the quality of education and strengthen support for students.
In other words, according to the Ministry of Education and Science’s logic, students’ poor math scores are not a reason to remove the subject from the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT), but rather indicate the need for systemic changes in school education.
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Math and Ukrainian are the best predictors of student success
The minister also highlighted studies showing that it is precisely the results in Ukrainian language and mathematics that best predict students’ future success in higher education institutions.
Therefore, he said, mathematics in entrance exams is not a formality or an unnecessary barrier, but an important tool for assessing young people’s readiness for university studies.
“Therefore, mathematics in entrance exams is not a barrier, but an important tool for assessing readiness for study. This is particularly relevant today, as technology and artificial intelligence increasingly influence our lives. In a world where data is growing daily, the ability to think critically, analyze information, and work with numbers is becoming an essential skill for everyone,” the minister wrote.
The Rada proposes reducing the number of required subjects on the NMT
As a reminder, the Rada previously initiated a simplification of the admission process to higher education institutions. The initiators want to remove mathematics from the list of required subjects.
According to the draft bill, the following subjects should remain mandatory for all applicants:
- Ukrainian language;
- Ukrainian history.
Applicants will choose one additional subject on their own.
However, the Ministry of Education and Science’s position is currently clear: mathematics must remain among the required subjects.
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