The Law on Complete General Secondary Education (Закон України ‘Про повну загальну середню освіту’) defines the types of assessment used to evaluate learners' outcomes in the complete general secondary education system. These include formative, current (not lesson-based) and final (divided into thematic, semester and annual) assessments, as well as the state final attestation (SFA) and the external independent evaluation (EIE). The law sets out the principles on which the assessment is based: ‘Every learner has the right to a fair, impartial, objective, independent, non-discriminatory and honest assessment of the results of his or her learning, regardless of the type and form of education’.

Learners assessment

Under Ukrainian legislation, general secondary education institutions (GSEIs) can assess learners using either the 12-point grading scale defined by law or their own grading system. If an institution chooses its own grading system, it must develop a methodology and rules for converting its grades into the official 12-point scale. The educational programme of the institution describes the assessment tools.

The assessment of learning outcomes is confidential information that is shared only with the learner and the learner's parents or guardians.

Formative (current, formative) assessment is a continuous process that takes place throughout the school year. According to this assessment, teachers provide feedback so that pupils in secondary schools can understand their progress and achievements in relation to the learning objectives.

Thematic assessment is carried out at the end of studying a particular topic of the standard educational programme for general secondary education. All types of learning activities assessed during the topic are taken into account. There are no separate tests for thematic assessment. 

Formative and thematic assessments most often use the 12-point or 5-10-point scales.

Semester assessment is conducted twice a year. It is based on thematic assessment results and an overall assessment of learning outcomes. These results are recorded in the progress report for learners of the 10-11/12 grades. Teachers independently plan and design diagnostic and control tasks during calendar-thematic planning. They follow state standards, educational and training programmes and the allocated hours in the curriculum for each subject or integrated course. The semester assessment uses a 12-point grading scale. 

Annual assessment is held once a year and is based on the combined results of the first and second semesters. In the achievement certificate, the ‘Year’ column records a single annual grade for each subject. The results of the SFA are not included in the annual assessment. The annual assessment uses a 12-point grading scale. 

Learners may request to improve their semester or annual grades, which can subsequently be revised.

The list of subjects assessed by formative, thematic, semester and annual assessments for grade 10 includes Ukrainian language, Ukrainian literature, language and literature of an indigenous people or national minority (for classes taught in these languages), English language, foreign literature, history of Ukraine, world history, civic education, mathematics (algebra and basic analysis, and geometry), biology and ecology, geography, physics, astronomy, chemistry and defence of Ukraine. For grade 11, the subjects remain the same except for the exclusion of civic education.

These subjects are basic. In 10-11 grades they are supplemented by elective subjects: art, technology, computer science and financial literacy. Pupils choose one of these four subjects, which is also assessed.

Progression of learners

The progression of learners to the next school year follows the Law on Complete General Secondary Education (Закон України ‘Про повну загальну середню освіту’). Learners progress to the next school year upon completing the current one, except in cases stipulated by law.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU) determines the relevant procedure for progressing GSEI learners to the next school year by a special order (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження Порядку переведення учнів закладу загальної середньої освіти на наступний рік навчання’)

Learners in grades 10-11/12 move to the next school year based on the results of final assessments (semester and annual) and/or SFA for grades 11/12. The decision on progression is made by the pedagogical council of the institution.  

Pupils in grade 9 who have completed basic secondary education may progress to grade 10 under the following conditions:

• Without in-depth study of specific subjects within the same institution, at their own request (if aged 18 or older) or at the request of a parent or legal guardian.

• With in-depth study of specific subjects within the same institution, based on the results of a competition (if held).

Learners who do not progress to grade 10 with in-depth study of certain subjects due to competition results may move to grade 10 without in-depth study. This can be done at their own request (if they are 18 or older) or at the request of a parent or legal guardian. Alternatively, they may leave the GSEI. The school head formalises this decision, allowing the pupils to continue their general secondary education in another GSEI.

Learners in grade 9 who complete basic secondary education, regardless of the form of study, receive a certificate of basic secondary education. Learners who progress to the next grade or leave general secondary education receive this certificate. Those who achieve high academic performance in the annual assessment (scores of 10, 11 or 12 in all subjects) are awarded a certificate of basic secondary education with honours.

Grade 11 learners who do not have annual assessment results in any subject and/or results from the SFA may continue their general secondary education through external studies. 

Learners (if aged 18 or over), their parents or legal guardians may appeal against decisions of the pedagogical council of the institution regarding grade progression, withdrawal or graduation. Appeals may also concern adjustments to annual assessment results.

The GSEI may establish a commission to consider appeals. Based on its review, the commission may recommend that the decision of the pedagogical council be overturned, amended or upheld, or that the learner's annual assessment results be adjusted. The relevant findings and recommendations are documented in the commission’s meeting protocol.

The procedure for progressing learners to the next year in specialised educational institutions with a scientific profile has specific features. The appropriate order of the MESU (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Деякі питання переведення учнів на наступний рік навчання’) regulates it.

In lyceums, progression to the next school year is determined by the results of the final examinations and/or the SFA (for learners in grade 9), the decision of the pedagogical council and the order of the lyceum head. Pupils receive a certificate of achievement upon progression.

Pupils in grade 9 who have completed basic education of scientific profile at the same time as receiving basic secondary education at the lyceum progress to grade 10 in the same lyceum. Pupils who, on the basis of their entrance examination results, do not progress to grade 10 in another study profile may either apply (if they are 18 or older), or have their parents or guardians apply, to transfer to grade 10 in the same study profile that they followed up to grade 9. Alternatively, they may leave the lyceum. The lyceum director formalises their transfer or release through an official order, allowing the pupils to continue their general secondary education in another GSEI.

The procedure and principles of the commission for appealing decisions of the pedagogical council are similar to those described above.

Certification

The SFA (state final attestation) is a form of assessment used to determine whether learners in general secondary education have reached the required level of education. It applies to those who have received a complete general secondary education in grade 11/12 and to learners in vocational and technical education.

The SFA takes place at the end of the school year in subjects determined and approved annually by the MESU (Наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження порядку проведення державної підсумкової атестації’).

Every final-year learner (grades 11/12) must pass the SFA in each level of the complete general secondary education.This includes examinations in the state language (Ukrainian is compulsory) and mathematics. Pupils graduating from specialised secondary schools must also pass exams in the history of Ukraine and a foreign language. Exceptions apply to languages of states recognised as aggressors or occupiers by the Parliament of Ukraine, unless otherwise stipulated by law. The list of foreign languages ​​and other subjects for the SFA is determined by the central executive body in the field of education and science, i.e. the MESU.

The SFA is conducted in written form. Educational institutions develop assessment tasks on the basis of the indicative requirements for the content of assessment tasks approved by the MESU. For learners in grade 11/12, the SFA may be conducted in the form of EIE (external independent evaluation). The results of the EIE in three academic subjects count as the results of the SFA at the level of complete general secondary education for secondary school graduates.

The results of the SFA are determined on a 12-point grading scale based on general criteria for assessing learners’ academic achievements. They are recorded separately from the annual grades. The results of the SFA are included in the certificate of complete general secondary education (grades 11/12) and are taken into account when calculating the average score of this certificate and when determining candidates for gold and silver medals.

The EIE assesses the learning outcomes achieved by a learner at a given level of education. The Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment (UCEQA) conducts this evaluation as a state-authorised institution.

The EIE is based on programmes approved by the central executive authority in the field of education and science. It adheres to the principles of validity (ensuring the appropriateness and effectiveness of evaluation methods and technologies for specific purposes), openness and transparency, objectivity, reliability, accessibility and responsibility.

The MESU determines the procedures and forms for conducting the EIE, taking into account the capabilities of persons with special educational needs (SEN). EIE is financed from the state budget and other sources not prohibited by law.

The main purpose of the EIE is to ensure equal access to higher education and to assess whether the learning outcomes achieved through complete general secondary education meet state requirements. The EIE is open to persons who received the complete general secondary education or will obtain it in the current school year and who have registered in accordance with the established requirements.

The EIE is carried out annually using educational testing technologies. UCEQA prepares certification tasks within the framework of EIE programmes for certain academic subjects. Orders of the MESU determine the timetable for organising and conducting EIE, the list of school subjects and the languages of national minorities used for the translation of texts.

EIE organisers ensure equal conditions for all participants by standardising assessment procedures. Participants with SEN receive special conditions to take the assessment at test centres.

The results of the EIE provide a quantitative assessment of the participant's academic performance. These results are used:

• to determine the competitive score of learners entering higher education on the basis of complete general education;

• as a grade for the SFA for the level of education of complete general secondary education;

• to assess the state of the general secondary education system and to forecast its further development.

The results for a given subject are determined by:

• а 100-200 point scale for all participants who pass the ‘pass/fail’ threshold;

• а 1-12 point scale for current-year secondary school graduates who chose this subject for SFA as part of the EIE.

• An expert commission sets the ‘pass/fail’ threshold and, based on this threshold, creates the table for the 100-200 point scale.

• The official EIE results are then available on participants' information pages:

• for Ukrainian Language and Literature, Mathematics, History of Ukraine, and foreign languages (English, Spanish, German, French) - no later than 25 calendar days after the test.

• for other subjects - no later than 14 calendar days after the test.

The UCEQA records the external evaluation as a rating on a scale of 100-200 points in the relevant register of the Unified State Electronic Database on Education in Ukraine (USEDE, in Ukrainian – ЄДЕБО).