How the 2026 Competitive Score Is Calculated: The Formula, the Coefficients and Worked Examples

← Scroll to see more →

← Scroll to see more →

What does each element of the formula mean?

In 2025, out of 317,083 registered NMT participants, only 3 people scored 200 in all 4 subjects (Ministry of Education and Science, 2025). Understanding each element of the formula helps you get the most out of your scores.

The NMT scores (S1–S4)

Each NMT subject is marked on a 100–200 point scale. There is a barrier score — the minimum for a result to count. If your score is below the barrier, the result is treated as 100. Here are the average NMT 2025 scores as a reference:

Mathematics is the hardest subject: 11.7% of applicants fail to clear the barrier (Ministry of Education and Science / NUS, 2025). That means every 8th person gets no qualifying result in mathematics.

The weighting coefficients (C1–C4)

These are the “importance” of each subject for a particular specialty. The range is 0.1 — 0.5. The higher the coefficient, the more strongly the subject affects your competitive score. Every specialty has its own set of coefficients, listed in full in Annex 10 to the Admission Procedure.

An example for F3 — computer science (Annex 10):

For IT, mathematics “weighs” the most (0.5), with physics in second place (0.4).

The full table of coefficients for every specialty is on the .

How does the (C4max + C4)/2 mechanic work?

This is the trickiest part of the formula. In the denominator, instead of a plain C4 there is an arithmetic mean:

(C4max + C4) / 2

C4max is the highest possible coefficient for an elective subject in that specialty (that is, the coefficient of the “core” subject). C4 is the coefficient of the subject you actually chose.

If you chose the core subject:
C4 = C4max = 0.5 → (0.5 + 0.5) / 2 = 0.5. There is no penalty.

If you chose a non-core subject:
C4 = 0.2, C4max = 0.5 → (0.5 + 0.2) / 2 = 0.35. The denominator changes!

What does that mean in practice? Even if a subject is “not needed” for the specialty, it still affects your competitive score through the denominator. The formula “penalizes” a non-core choice.

Not sure which subject to choose? Read our .

The creative competition (Ct × CC)

This applies only to art, architecture and sport specialties (the list is in Annex 8; the Ct coefficient is in Annex 10):

• Ct = 0.25–0.7 (the creative competition coefficient; 0.7 for design, art and architecture)
• CC = 100–200 (the mark in the creative exam)

For most specialties Ct = 0 and CC = 0 — this element simply disappears from the formula.

The points for preparatory courses (PC)

PC is the score for successfully completing, in the year of admission, the preparatory courses (the preparatory department) of the higher education institution you are applying to. It is added after the division — that is, it is a direct bonus to your competitive score.

Two limits: the points are awarded only for courses at the same institution you are applying to, and only for admission on NMT results. The final competitive score still cannot exceed 200. Even +10 points is often the difference between a state-funded and a fee-paying place.

What is the minimum competitive score needed for admission?

Not every competitive score entitles you to take part in the competition. The 2026 Admission Procedure (Section III, clause 9 and Section IV, clause 8) sets the minimum thresholds:

If your competitive score is below the minimum, the application is not considered — not even for a fee-paying place.

The specialties with the raised threshold of 150 (Section IV, clause 8):

Separately: for a transfer from a fee-paying to a vacant state-funded place in the specially supported specialties, a competitive score of ≥ 120 is enough (Section III, clause 21).

Does the regional coefficient apply in 2026?

In previous years the regional coefficient gave a bonus for entering an institution in a less urbanized region. In 2026 the regional coefficient is 1.00 for every institution (Section IV, clause 7) — there is no regional bonus and all institutions are on equal terms. The multiplication by the regional coefficient is present in the formula but changes nothing:

Final CS = CS × RC × FC,   where RC = 1.00

So if you were counting on “a few extra points for the region”, there are none in 2026. The only multiplier that can still give a bonus is the field coefficient, which is covered below.

What is the field coefficient?

The field coefficient is a bonus for the priority specialties the state wants to encourage (the list is in Annex 9 to the Admission Procedure). Its value is either 1.00 or 1.02. A field coefficient of 1.02 applies only to applications with priority 1 or 2 in the specially supported specialties; in all other cases it is 1.00.

Final CS = CS × RC × FC

The specialties with a field coefficient of 1.02 are the agricultural ones (agronomy, veterinary medicine, forestry), the natural sciences, chemical technologies and certain engineering fields from the specially supported list (Annex 9). Since the regional coefficient is 1.00 in 2026, the only effect left is the field coefficient of 1.02 — that is +2% to your competitive score, or roughly 3–4 points in the competitive specialties.

Example 1 — an IT specialty (F3 — computer science)

Computer science is one of the most popular specialties: 31,277 applications were submitted in 2025 (DOU / EDBO, 2025). Let us go through the calculation.

Oleksii, an applicant. He wants to study computer science at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

The calculation:

Numerator: 0.3×160 + 0.5×185 + 0.2×150 + 0.4×170 = 48 + 92.5 + 30 + 68 = 238.5

Denominator: 0.3 + 0.5 + 0.2 + (0.4+0.4)/2 = 0.3 + 0.5 + 0.2 + 0.4 = 1.4

CS = 238.5 / 1.4 = 170.36

And if Oleksii had chosen geography instead of physics?

The same score of 170, but C4 = 0.2 instead of 0.4:

Numerator: 0.3×160 + 0.5×185 + 0.2×150 + 0.2×170 = 48 + 92.5 + 30 + 34 = 204.5

Denominator: 0.3 + 0.5 + 0.2 + (0.4+0.2)/2 = 0.3 + 0.5 + 0.2 + 0.3 = 1.3

CS = 204.5 / 1.3 = 157.31

The difference: 170.36 − 157.31 = 13.05 points! Choosing the right elective subject is critical for your competitive score.

Example 2 — medicine (I2 — medicine)

Medicine traditionally has some of the highest cut-off scores for state-funded places. Here the points for preparatory courses can be decisive.

Mariia, an applicant. She dreams of becoming a doctor. She completed the preparatory courses at the medical university she is applying to.

For medicine (I2), 3 subjects have C4 = 0.5 at once: biology, physics and chemistry (Annex 10). So any of them counts as a “core” subject and there is no penalty.

The calculation:

Numerator: 0.35×175 + 0.4×155 + 0.25×165 + 0.5×180 = 61.25 + 62 + 41.25 + 90 = 254.5

Denominator: 0.35 + 0.4 + 0.25 + (0.5+0.5)/2 = 0.35 + 0.4 + 0.25 + 0.5 = 1.5

CS (without the bonus) = 254.5 / 1.5 = 169.67

CS = 169.67 + 10 (PC) = 179.67

Without the preparatory course points — 169.67. With them — 179.67. In medicine the cut-off scores for state-funded places in 2025 reached 149–167 points at Bogomolets National Medical University (RBC-Ukraine, 2025). Those 10 points for preparatory courses decide everything.

Note: mathematics has a high coefficient for medicine (0.4) — it should not be ignored when you are preparing.

Example 3 — law (D8 — law)

In 2025 more than 28,000 applications were submitted to law (DOU / EDBO, 2025). The minimum competitive score for law is raised (150 instead of the standard 130).

Dmytro, an applicant. He is choosing between law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and international law.

The calculation:

Numerator: 0.45×180 + 0.4×145 + 0.4×185 + 0.5×175 = 81 + 58 + 74 + 87.5 = 300.5

Denominator: 0.45 + 0.4 + 0.4 + (0.5+0.5)/2 = 0.45 + 0.4 + 0.4 + 0.5 = 1.75

CS = 300.5 / 1.75 = 171.71

Note: for law the minimum competitive score is 150 (a raised threshold). Dmytro clears it with room to spare.

In law all the coefficients are high: Ukrainian (0.45), mathematics (0.4), history (0.4), a foreign language (0.5). For a future lawyer, mathematics weighs as much as history — it cannot be ignored.

Example 4 — an art specialty (B2 — design)

For design and the other art specialties the key element is the creative competition. Its coefficient (Ct = 0.7) is the highest in the formula.

Alina, an applicant. She is applying for design — there is a creative competition.

For design (B2) all the elective subjects have the same C4 = 0.2 — there is no penalty for a “non-core” choice (Annex 10). And Ct = 0.7 is the highest coefficient in the whole formula.

The calculation:

Numerator: 0.25×155 + 0.2×130 + 0.2×140 + 0.2×145 + 0.7×190
= 38.75 + 26 + 28 + 29 + 133 = 254.75

Denominator: 0.25 + 0.2 + 0.2 + (0.2+0.2)/2 + 0.7 = 0.25 + 0.2 + 0.2 + 0.2 + 0.7 = 1.55

CS = 254.75 / 1.55 = 164.35

The creative competition (190 × 0.7 = 133) made the biggest contribution to the numerator — more than half of it! For the art specialties it is the creative competition, not the NMT, that is the main component of the score.

How do you calculate your competitive score online?

Do not do the arithmetic by hand — use the Abitly NMT calculator, which picks the coefficients for the specialty you choose automatically, recalculates your score instantly when you change a mark, shows the difference between elective subjects and compares the result with the cut-off scores of previous years.

Open the NMT calculator →

Also useful: find the competitive offers that match your score →

Frequently asked questions

Is the formula the same for state-funded and fee-paying places?

Yes, the formula is the same for both. The difference is that a state-funded place requires a higher competitive score because the number of places is limited. For a fee-paying place it is enough to clear the minimum threshold (130 or 150 depending on the specialty).

Can you score more than 200 points?

No. The final competitive score is capped on the 100–200 scale (Section III, clause 13): if the calculation gives more than 200, the score is set at 200. The points for preparatory courses are added to the result of the division, but they cannot push the final score above 200. In 2025 only 3 people scored 200 in all 4 subjects (Ministry of Education and Science, 2025).

Is the formula the same for master’s programs?

No. Master’s admission uses a different formula based on the EVI (the single entrance exam) and the EFVV (the single professional entrance test). The list of EFVV subject tests for each specialty is set by the Admission Procedure. This article is solely about bachelor’s admission on NMT results.

How do you check that the calculator is right?

The formula is public — it is Section IV of the Procedure for Admission to Higher Education in 2026. You can check it by hand against the examples in this article or compare it with the official EDBO calculator.

Does your school certificate average count?

For bachelor’s admission on the NMT — no. The competitive score is built solely from your NMT scores, the coefficients and the bonuses. The school certificate is needed only as proof of complete general secondary education.

How many applications can you submit in 2026?

In 2026 the maximum is 10 applications in total, of which up to 5 for state-funded places (Section III, clause 8). That is fewer than in 2025 (it was 15). More in our .

Not chosen your elective subject yet? Read:

The full table of coefficients:

The admission deadlines: