Vakulenko: NMT needs to be improved in terms of test format and assessment structure
1 November 12:18
The National Multisubject Test (NMT) remains a forced format for evaluating applicants in times of war. However, according to Tetiana Vakulenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment, it has a number of shortcomings that need to be improved, from the amount of time allotted for completing tasks to the lack of open-ended questions.
She explained that the limited format of the test does not allow for a sufficient number of tasks to comprehensively test the knowledge and skills of applicants. In addition, open-response tasks such as personal statements, listening, and detailed math problems have been removed from the NMT since 2022.
“Obviously, it’s not a good idea to have four subjects tested in one day. Obviously, it is not a good idea to have testing in one subject within one hour. Obviously, it is not a good idea to have no open-ended questions in the test. That is, starting in 2022, we will not have any expressive writing, or writing a detailed answer in foreign languages, or listening in foreign languages, or detailed solutions to math problems. And these are the types of tasks we used to use. And this is an obvious drawback,” Vakulenko said in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
Nevertheless, the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment continues to work in the harsh conditions of war, providing equal opportunities for all NMT participants, regardless of their location.
“We have to conduct the assessment so that applicants receive the result regardless of whether they are in Dnipro or Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Warsaw, or Toronto. And all these restrictions are what we are working with,” Vakulenko said.
According to her, the test format is gradually being improved. If in 2022, applicants took only three subjects, now they have the opportunity to choose a fourth – a specialized subject.
“In 2022, there was no subject to choose from. We tested only in Ukrainian language, math, and history of Ukraine. This was wrong, because those applicants who plan to pursue a career in physics, chemistry, or English should demonstrate their academic achievements in these subjects,” she explained.
The test now consists of two blocks covering four subjects, and, according to Vakulenko, the UCEQA continues to improve the format.
