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ENIC UKRAINE
National Information Centre
of Academic Mobility

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STATE FINAL ATTESTATION

The State Final Attestation (SFA) or state examination is a form of monitoring the education level of graduates of general secondary education program.

In accordance with the current legislation, the SFA is held at the end of the school year for students who complete primary (in the 4th grade), basic secondary (in the 9th grade) and upper secondary education (in the 11th grade), also who obtain technical and vocational education or professional pre-higher education after basic secondary education.

The list of subjects for the SFA is annually approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The Ukrainian language exam and mathematics are mandatory for all levels of general secondary education. For students of upper secondary education, these exams are combined with the External Independent Evaluation (EIE) examinations.

The SFA exams are assessed in accordance with the criteria approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: for students of basic and upper school the 12-point scale is used, and for primary school graduates the four verbal levels of assessment are used as follows: "initial", "average", "sufficient", and "high".

The SFA results are added to the transcript / supplement to the Certificate of Basic Secondary Education (grade 9) and Certificate of Complete General Secondary Education (grade 11). The SFA of primary school students is carried out only for the purpose of monitoring the quality of educational activities of institutions and quality of education.

The SFA exams can be carried out by an educational institution or be combined with the External Independent Evaluation (EIE). When the SFA is combined with the EIE, the results of the three EIE exams are recalculated and used as results of the SFA for complete general (profile) secondary education graduates.

The External Independent Evaluation is the higher education entrance exam, based on the results of which, competitive admission to the Ukrainian higher education institutions takes place. The EIE in Ukraine is also a mode for the SFA for complete general (profile) secondary education graduates.

After passing the EIE a Certificate of the External Independent Evaluation is awarded, along with the Information Card with the results of the EIE. The Certificates can be used for higher education applications for a period, determined annually by a legal act. Usually, it is two or three years.

Before the implementation of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) and the full-scale invasion of the russian federation to the territory of Ukraine, the SFA in the mode of the EIE or in another mode was mandatory. The reasons for conducting the SFA in the modes other than the EIE, and the reasons for exemption from the SFA are determined by legislation.

From 2020-2021, with the implementation of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), certain changes were made to the current legislation of Ukraine. In the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic years, students who completed general secondary education were exempted from the SFA, but at the same time had the right to pass the SFA (including in the EIE mode) at their own request. For further details please read: Information on complete general secondary education qualification/level, and admission to higher education programs in Ukraine due to COVID-19.

Due to the hostilities in Ukraine in the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic years, students completing primary, basic secondary and complete general (profile) secondary education were exempted from taking the SFA. For further details please read: Information on the State Final Attestation during martial law.


Resources:

1) Law of Ukraine On Education dated September 5, 2017 No. 2145-VIII

2) Law of Ukraine On Complete General Secondary Education dated January 16, 2020 No. 463-IX

3) Law of Ukraine On Higher Education

4) Law of Ukraine On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine in the Field of Education dated March 24, 2022 No. 2157-IX

5) Law of Ukraine On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding State Final Attestation and Admission Campaign of 2023 dated February 23, 2023 No. 2925-IX

6) Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 07.12.2018 No. 1369 On Approval of the Procedure for Conducting the State Final Attestation

7) Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated March 30, 2020 No. 463 On the Exemption from Passing the State Final Attestation of Primary and Basic General Secondary Education Graduates in the 2019/2020 Academic Year

8) Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 03.03.2021 No. 273 On Exemption from the State Final Attestation of Primary and Basic General Secondary Education Graduates in the 2020/2021 Academic Year

9) Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated February 28, 2022 No. 232 On Exemption from the State Final Attestation of Primary and Basic General Secondary Education Graduates in the 2021/2022 Academic Year

10) Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 11.01.2023 No. 19 On Exemption from the State Final Attestation of Primary and Basic General Secondary Education Graduates in the 2022/2023 Academic Year


This information has been produced with the financial assistance of the Council of Europe. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the Council of Europe.