Dynamics of Ukrainians’ Attitude to EIT (ZNO)

• The younger the respondents and the higher the level of their income and education, the more they support the idea of the EIT implementation instead of admission exams. Also, somewhat higher support is observed in the West and among those who have experienced passing EIT (personally or their children/grandchildren), somewhat lower support - in the East and among those who do not have the appropriate experience.

 

• Similar situation is observed with regard to the EIT validity assessments: thus, while 10 years ago only 26% believed that the EIT allowed more fair assessment of the applicants’ level of knowledge, this year, the number of the citizens who are optimistic towards this matter has already reached 52%. It is important that the validity of the EIT is much more likely to be felt by those who have passed such exams (70%) than by those who have not had such experience (45%).

 

• 40% believe that admission to higher education institutions is possible without corruption (this is almost twice as much as compared to 2008 - 22%). Moreover, 46% believe that the introduction of the EIT contributes to the fight against corruption when applying to the higher education institutions (19% in 2008). The number of the optimists is higher among young and middle-aged people, those with high income level and higher education, citizens of the West, as well as among those who have experienced passing EIT and generally support it.

 

• Almost a half of the polled (48%) believe that the EIT creates equal conditions for admission to higher education institutions for all, regardless of material status, while 31% share the opposite opinion, and every fifth have not decided on this issue. Interestingly, youth, people with average and high incomes are more likely to believe in level playing field for all as compared to the older generation, those with low income and poor. Moreover, 38% of the polled are definitely or rather convinced that the EIT introduction has improved the quality of secondary and higher education in Ukraine (those who have experienced passing the EIT are more likely to think so), the same number of the polled - think the opposite, a quarter - not determined.

 

• Meanwhile, 45% of the respondents still do not rule out the possibility of the outcomes’ falsifications (26% do not believe in it, 30% - could not answer). The higher number of the skeptics have been noticed among the residents of the West, men, and those who do not support EIT. Interestingly, among the parents, the level of distrust towards the EIT is somewhat higher than among those who have personally passed the tests.

 

• According to the respondents, the major advantages of the EIT are the objectivity of the assessment by eliminating the human factor (32%), overcoming corruption while applying to higher education institutions (28%), and ensuring equal access to higher education irrespective of material opportunities of an applicant (27%). Other 20-21% among the major advantages have mentioned the approximation of Ukrainian education to the European education standards and improving the efficiency of students’ selection to higher education institutions, 16% - improvement of the quality of secondary and higher education. 13% believe that the EIT does not have any advantages at all, and every fifth could not answer.

 

• At the same time, among the major disadvantages of the EIT, the respondents have mentioned the tests’ complexity and lack of consistency (31%), need for additional training (29%), and frequent changes in the rules for passing the tests (26%). Every fifth respondent has mentioned among the major drawbacks the deepening of inequality between ordinary and privileged schools, 17% - decrease in the quality of school education, 16% - impossibility of assessing the students creativity, 14% - imperfect evaluation system. Only 5% of the polled believe that the EIT does not have any disadvantages, and every fourth – have not decided.

 

• More than a half (52%) of those who have personally or whose children have passed the EIT, had used tutor services while preparing for the assessment, 43% - had not used such services. More often the tutors’ services had been used by those with higher incomes and urban residents, while in the regional context there were no tangible differences in this issue.

 

• 41% of the respondents support the decision not to carry out the “Russian language” test starting from 2018, 35% stand against such an initiative, a quarter - not determined. This decision gains the highest support among the residents of the West, rural citizens, young people (under 25 years old), those with higher income, as well as among those who generally support the EIT and had experienced passing the tests or whose children are applying to the university in the nearest future. In its turn, the highest opposition was recorded in the East and South, among the eldest and the poorest, as well as among those who do not support and have not passed the EIT and whose children are not applying to the university at all in the nearest future.

 

• Along with that, nearly a half (47%) supports the idea of introducing a mandatory “Foreign language” test (27% - against, the same number - not determined). Interestingly, this idea is more popular among the applicants’ parents, urban population, and those with higher income than among those whose children are not yet applying, rural citizens, and those with lower income.

 

• 11% of the polled stated their children’ intention to apply to the higher education institutions in the next 3 years, while 85% do not have such an intention. The highest number of those whose children plan to apply to higher education institutions was recorded among the middle-aged people, those with high incomes, and residents of the Western regions.

 

• Over the last 10 years, 12% of the respondents have taken EIT personally, 20% mentioned that their children or grandchildren had taken such tests. Two-thirds of the respondents under 35 years had experienced passing these tests over the past 10 years.

 

 

Audience: residents of Ukraine aged 18 and older. The sample is representative in terms of age, gender, region, and settlement type. Total sample: 2000 respondents. Personal formalized interview (face-to-face). The margin of error does not exceed 2.2%. Period of the survey: 3-8 May 2018