Sub-Competitions A / B / BB / V — Who Competes Where for a State-Funded Place

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Verbatim from the Order (Annex 6, Section II, item 1):

• Sub-competition A — the institution’s offer for admitting people entitled to enter under quota 1.
• Sub-competition B — the institution’s offer for people entitled to enter under quota 2.
• Sub-competition BB — the institution’s offer for people who enjoy special conditions in the form of taking part in the competitive selection on the basis of an interview on the NMT subjects (or an interview and a creative entrance exam), with the possibility of enrollment on a positive result.
• Sub-competition V — the institution’s offer for all applicants, including people in the categories above who are not recommended within sub-competitions A and B.

The key rule: any unused portion of quota 1 and quota 2 passes into sub-competition V. So the reserved places do not “expire” — if they are not filled, they go to the general competition.

Step 3. Fee-paying places split more simply

Competitions funded by individuals or legal entities (fee-paying) are split into only two sub-competitions: BB and V. There is no quota 1 or quota 2 on fee-paying places, so there are no sub-competitions A and B either.

Diagram: who competes where

                     COMPETITIVE OFFER
                              │
        ┌─────────────────────┴─────────────────────┐
        │                                            │
   STATE-FUNDED (state/regional)              FEE-PAYING (private funds)
        │                                            │
   ┌────┼────┬─────┐                            ┌────┴────┐
   A    B   BB    V                            BB        V
   │    │    │     │                             │        │
quota-1 quota-2 interview  everyone          interview  everyone
        │    │           ▲                                ▲
        └────┴───────────┘                                │
     unused quota places  ───────►  pass into sub-competition V

Examples

Example 1. Olia, an orphan, competitive score 165.
Olia is entitled to quota 1 → she goes into sub-competition A. First she competes for the quota places only against other quota-1 applicants. If there were not enough places in sub-competition A, her application then goes on to sub-competition V — the general competition, against everyone.

Example 2. Maksym from Mariupol (an area of active hostilities), score 158.
Maksym is entitled to quota 2 → sub-competition B. The logic is the same: the quota track first, then, if necessary, the general one (V).

Example 3. Iryna, no benefits, score 180.
Iryna goes straight into sub-competition V — the general competition. Her score is high, so at most offers this is where she gets in.

Example 4. Bohdan is applying to a specialty with a creative entrance exam, through an interview.
Bohdan is in sub-competition BB. If his result is good enough, he is recommended within BB.

FAQ

Can you choose your own sub-competition?
No. The sub-competition is determined by your status (quota entitlement, the form of your entrance examination), not by choice.

What does sub-competition V do?
It is the “general track” — everyone ends up there, including quota applicants who were not recommended in A or B. Unused quota places move there too.

Does quota 1 or quota 2 guarantee a place?
No. A quota only sets aside a share of the places for a category and creates a separate track (A or B). After that it still comes down to your competitive score.

How many places are there in sub-competitions A and B?
The size of the quotas is set by the Order (Section VIII, item 13): by default 10% of the maximum volume each (minimum 1 place). The exact percentages and exceptions are in the breakdown of the quotas below.

Work out your chances

The sub-competition decides who you compete against; whether you get in comes down to your competitive score. Work it out precisely using the formula in the Order (NMT score conversion per Annex 5 plus the coefficients):

👉 The Abitly competitive score calculator

Read next:

• 📝 Quota 1 vs quota 2 in 2026 — who qualifies and how many places there are (sub-competitions A and B are exactly about these quotas)
• 🎮 The admission simulation — rehearse submitting applications before the campaign starts

The rules are given per the official source (Ministry of Education and Science Order No. 373). For the cut-off scores of particular institutions, see EDBO: vstup.edbo.gov.ua.