In Odesa, amid the scandal over the National Multidisciplinary Test, calls have been made to increase the number of testing sites in shelters

In Odesa, officials discussed the situation surrounding the National Multisubject Test (NMT) held on June 8, when, due to prolonged air raid alerts, some test-takers spent nearly the entire day at the testing sites. City council members called for an investigation into who is responsible for organizing the test under wartime conditions.

At a meeting of the Odesa City Council’s Standing Committee on Education, lawmakers reviewed the situation that arose during the National Multisubject Test on June 8.

The cause was a series of prolonged air raid alerts, which forced test-takers to repeatedly go down to shelters and then return to the testing rooms.

Anatoliy Anisimov, director of the Odesa Regional Center for Educational Quality Assessment, stated that all testing sites had been prepared in accordance with current requirements and described the situation as a force majeure event. According to him, after two hours of continuous air raid alerts, test-takers could have submitted a request to take the exam during an additional session; however, most decided to complete the exam that same day.

The official reported that out of approximately 1,300 test-takers on June 8, only 106 people applied for the make-up session. The rest continued taking the exam and received their results.

During the discussion, lawmakers emphasized that responsibility for organizing the process cannot be shifted onto children and their parents. They stated that the main task is to determine why the situation—which caused widespread public outcry—arose and to prevent it from recurring during future testing.

The issue of holding the National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) directly in shelters sparked a separate discussion. The committee chair referred to letters and recommendations regarding the organization of testing in protected facilities and asked why schools with equipped shelters were not used for this purpose.

In response, representatives of the regional center explained that the mere presence of a shelter does not automatically mean it is suitable for administering exams. According to them, such facilities must have adequate lighting, ventilation, sanitary conditions, workstations, and a stable internet connection. As a result, only about 30% of the region’s educational institutions have shelters suitable for the full-scale operation of National Multidisciplinary Test (NMT) testing sites.

Yulia Filler, director of the Department of Education and Science of the Odesa City Council, reported that the city had submitted proposals regarding facilities with large shelters; however, the final decision on including testing sites in the network is made at the national level. According to her, even schools with spacious shelters did not always receive approval to host the NMT.

Following the discussion, meeting participants concluded that, ahead of the additional NMT session and upcoming entrance exams, it is necessary to maximize the number of testing sites capable of operating directly within shelters, as well as to assess the readiness of the city’s educational infrastructure for prolonged air raid alerts.

At the same time, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that due to air raid alerts, the administration of the National Multisubject Test (NMT) in the Odesa region was effectively disrupted.

Former MayorHennadiy Trukhanovalso responded to the situation surrounding the National Multisubject Test (NMT) on June 8 by criticizing the acting mayor and the regional military administration.

Анна Бальчінос