Unified State Qualification Exam (USQE)

Unified State Qualification Exam (USQE) is administered for Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Vocational Junior Bachelor’s program students majoring in “22 Healthcare” branch of knowledge (examinees), using the standardized testing technologies, as provided under “The procedure, terms, and timeframe for development and administration of the Unified State Qualification Exam and criteria for the result assessment”, adopted under Ministry of Health of Ukraine Decree № 419 (amended), dated February 19, 2019, and registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine under № 279/33250 on March 20, 2019 (Procedure № 419).

Organization and administration of USQE test-based components (“Krok” Integrated Test-Based Exam for Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Vocational Junior Bachelor’s program students and Vocational English Language Proficiency Test for Master’s program students) is provided by:

• the Rectors (Directors) of the schools, where it concerns preparation of classrooms, ensuring suitable and safe conditions during the exam, and provision of emergency medical care for the examinees, if needed;
• the Testing Board, where it concerns the organizational and technological measures that must be taken to administer the exam.

All USQE test-based components are administered according to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and use unified closed tests and unified methodology guidelines designed by the Testing Board.

USQE test-based components are administered in schools or on the premises provided by the Testing Board, if a school registers for the exam less than 20 examinees.

USQE test-based components can be taken only by students, who were properly registered for their participation in the exam, if their current health condition allows them to take their exams.

According to Procedure № 419, section 6, students registered to take USQE test-based components have the right to:

• access the information about the schedule for USQE test-based components, the exam administration procedure, the time and place of exam administration, the result assessment procedure, and the time and manner in which USQE results will be officially announced;
• be treated politely and without bias by the persons tasked with the USQE administration;
• safe conditions during the exam;
• receive emergency medical aid during the exam;
• submit their complaints about the exam administration procedure, if their rights were violated, or request a score recheck.

According to Procedure № 419, section 7, students registered to take USQE test-based components must:

• familiarize themselves with Procedure № 419;
• timely arrive at the exam site with their identity documents (Procedure № 419, section 13, subsection 3);
• be polite to other students and persons tasked with the USQE administration;
• comply with the exam-related instructions and requests of the persons tasked with the USQE administration.

According to Procedure № 419, section 8, students registered to take USQE test-based components cannot:

• bring to the exam site any objects or substances that can be potentially dangerous to the life and health of people;
• use at the exam site, have on their persons or at their workstation any communication devices or devices that can be used for recording, processing, storing, and reproducing information, or any separate elements that may be components of such devices;
• interfere with the work of other examinees during the test;
• interfere with the duties of the persons tasked with the USQE administration;
• communicate with other students during the test and pass them any objects or materials, including exam materials;
• copy the answers of other students;
• in any way disclose the information about the content of the test questions;
• take exam materials, including their separate pages or copies, out of the classroom;
• continue answering the test questions or erase the marks in the answer sheet after the end of the test;
• damage the property at the exam site.

An examinee, who violates the rules listed in Procedure № 419, section 8, loses the right to continue writing the test and, upon the request of the Testing Board representative administering the USQE test-based component (the proctor), must immediately hand over his or her answer sheet and exam booklet and leave the classroom. Such incident will then be reported by the proctor and the examinee will receives score “0” (“fail”), as a result.

To ensure the transparency and public nature of USQE administration, video surveillance and video recording are conducted in the classrooms, where USQE test-based components are being administered.

The proctor/proctors and the school representative must be constantly present in the classroom for the duration of the test. Outsiders are prohibited from entering the classroom, where the testing takes place.

Each one of the USQE test-based components must be taken by the examinee personally at the exam site designated for administering USQE test-based components and after undergoing the identity check. The students, who has not undergone the identification procedure, cannot take the exam and are considered to be absent without a reasonable excuse at the exam. All such cases are reported.

After passing the identity check, the student receives from the proctor his or her answer sheet and information strip. The proctor directs the students to their places in the classroom. The answer sheet must be filled in, using a ballpoint pen with deep black ink.

On the day of the exam, the intactness of the sealed container with the exam booklets must checked in the presence of the authorized representative of the school, the proctor, and the examinees, after which the container is opened. After that the proctor hands out the exam booklets to the examinees.

Having finished working with the exam booklet, an examinee must place his or her answer sheet into the exam booklet, hand them over to the proctor, and leave the classroom.

When all USQE test-based components are successfully passed, the student receives the Certificate for passing the Krok Exam and Vocational English Language Proficiency Test. The format of the Certificate is decided by the Testing Board.

See here for more detailed information about the USQE procedure, terms, and timeframe.