In Ukraine, fourth-graders will pass the final certification in the format of EIT from 2027
15 September 20:23
Starting in 2027, the state final examination (SFE) will once again become compulsory for 4th grade students. For the first time, it will be held in a format close to the External Independent Testing (EIT).
This is stipulated by the order of the Ministry of Education No. 1152, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
How it will work
- the 2025/26 academic year is the preparatory stage.
- February-April 2026 – creation of a special educational platform for the EIT.
- Spring 2026 – testing on 10 thousand primary school graduates.
- 2027 – full launch for all fourth-graders.
Funding will be provided by the state budget.
Why it is important
The last time the state testing was held in Ukraine was in 2019. Subsequently:
- in 2020-2021, it was canceled due to COVID-19,
- in 2022-2025 – due to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Thus, an entire generation of junior schoolchildren avoided the formal final test.
Context
This year, high school students were given a national multi-subject test instead of the EIT.
At the same time, the government is optimizing the school network: from September 1, 2025, funding for institutions with fewer than 45 students will be suspended.
Potential risks
Experts point out that the introduction of the EIT for fourth-graders may have controversial consequences:
- Stress for children. At the age of 9-10, children may perceive standardized exams as too much pressure.
- Additional workload for teachers. They will be forced to focus more on teaching tests rather than on developing critical thinking.
- Risk of inequality. Students from rural schools that lack resources may perform worse.
At the same time, supporters of the initiative emphasize that testing will provide an objective picture of the state of primary education in Ukraine and allow for timely identification of gaps.
The introduction of standardized tests in primary school is part of the MES’s broader strategy of European integration of education and bringing it closer to the models used in OECD countries.
For Ukraine, it is also an attempt to restore the systematic monitoring of the quality of knowledge that was lost due to the pandemic and war.
