USQE 2026: We Answer Your Questions
We have compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding taking the Unified State Qualification Exam abroad.
Who is responsible for organizing and administering the USQE?
The State Institution “Scientific and Methodological Center for Higher and Pre-Higher Vocational Education” is the sole state institution responsible for organizing and administering the USEE.
The PRMTA assists this state institution exclusively in organizing and administering the USQE outside Ukraine for specialty 271 “Maritime and Inland Water Transport” and is not responsible for the test results, organization, or administration of the USQEoutside Ukraine.
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In which cities abroad can temporary testing centers be set up for the USQE?
Given the significant number of students who have expressed a desire to take the USQE outside of Ukraine, all necessary measures are currently being taken to establish temporary examination centers in the cities of Chisinau (Moldova) and Varna (Bulgaria).
Information regarding the number of seats available for taking the USQE at each specific location will be provided at a later date.
Please note! The number of seats available for taking the USQE outside Ukraine at each individual temporary examination center is, unfortunately, limited. The total number of planned seats for taking the USQE outside Ukraine should allow all students who have currently expressed a desire to take the USQE outside Ukraine to do so.
How are the cities abroad selected where temporary testing centers for the USQE will be established?
The selection of foreign locations for organizing and conducting the USQE is carried out taking into account the requests of students, the availability and possibility of renting, within the established timeframes, a sufficient number of examination rooms that meet the requirements for conducting the USQE, as established by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 1658 dated November 25, 2024, and the costs of sending proctors (observers) from Ukraine to such foreign examination centers.
Are the dates for the Unified State Qualification Exam known?
According to the current order of the Ministry of Education and Science, the USE for maritime specialties in 2026 is scheduled for May 19 for bachelor’s degree candidates and May 21 for candidates for vocational pre-higher education.
Will students have to pay an additional fee to take the Unified State Exam outside of Ukraine?
No, there is no additional fee for taking the Unified State Qualification Exam outside of Ukraine.
Travel expenses to the exam site outside of Ukraine and accommodation costs in the cities where the exam is held are to be covered by the students themselves.
Who is eligible to take the USQE outside Ukraine?
Students who meet the requirements of their individual study plan and are registered by their educational institutions in the USQE system to take the USQE outside Ukraine, in accordance with their applications, will be eligible to take the USQE outside Ukraine.
If, at the time of registration, there are no available slots for taking the USQE at the overseas testing center selected by the student, the student will be offered available slots at other testing centers.
Please note! Students who are members of the MTWTU, or whose parents (guardians, custodians) are members of the MTWTU, will have priority to be registered to take the USQE at the temporary foreign examination centers of their choice.
Do students need to have a personal computer (laptop) to take the USQE?
Yes! Given the large number of students who have expressed a desire to take the USQE outside of Ukraine, it is impossible to provide all students with seats equipped with desktop computers.
To take the USQE, a student must bring a personal computer (laptop) that meets the requirements specified in Order No. 1658 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated November 25, 2024.
The laptop must have the Safe Exam Browser software installed, in a version current as of the date of the USQE.
The personal computer (laptop) must be capable of operating on its own power source (battery) for the duration of the Unified State Qualification Exam (3 hours).
The personal computer (laptop) must also be capable of connecting wirelessly (Wi-Fi) to the Internet.
Students who are registered to take the USQE outside of Ukraine will be provided with a link to take a preliminary technical readiness test for their personal computer (laptop) to ensure it is suitable for taking the USQE.
What documents must a student bring with them to take the Unified State Qualification Exam?
To be admitted to the USQE, a student must present the original of one of the following documents confirming their identity to the proctor/senior proctor on the day of the USQE:
a valid Ukrainian passport for travel abroad (“foreign passport”)
OR
a valid Ukrainian passport with a contactless electronic chip (ID card).
Can the Unified State Qualification Exam be taken online?
No, the USE is administered under controlled, standardized conditions in the presence of an independent proctor (observer)—a representative of the State Institution “Scientific and Methodological Center for Higher and Pre-Higher Vocational Education”—who supervises the exam.
What should I do if my son is still on a practical training assignment on a ship at that time?
If a student is unable to arrive to take the Unified State Qualification Exam on the scheduled date set for the corresponding educational level for any reason, that student has the right to take the Unified State Qualification Exam on the date designated for retaking the exam.
If the original of the above-mentioned document is not presented, the student will not be admitted to take the USQE outside of Ukraine.
Where can I find the curriculum for the Unified State Qualification Exam?
The USQE program for specialty 271 at the pre-higher vocational education level was approved by Order No. 1784 of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated December 24, 2024
The YEDKI program for specialty 271 at the first (bachelor’s) level of higher education was approved by Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine No. 663 dated May 10, 2024
https://mon.gov.ua/static-objects/mon/sites/1/vishcha-osvita/Yedynyy.derzhavny.kvalifikatsiynyy.ispyt/2024/05/10.05.2023/Nakaz.MON-663.vid.10.05.2024.pdf
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