Finland: Streamlining university admission with unified entrance examinations
As of 2025, Finnish universities will have nine joint national entrance exams through which applicants can apply for a study place at different universities and in several different fields of education. In addition, the schedule of the entrance examinations will be loosened so that those selected by certificate selection will not have to prepare and take part in the entrance examinations.
In Finland, most students are admitted a study place to universities through two methods: Certificate-based selection evaluates a student’s performance in the matriculation examination, which is taken at the end of general upper secondary education. Selection through entrance exams, however, assesses general academic readiness and field-specific skills.
In recent years, most students have been admitted to a study place through certificate-based selection, with fewer students gaining admission based on entrance exam performance. Starting in 2025, the admission system will be reformed. The main changes in the reform are following:
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Reduction of the number of entrance exams: The number of exams will decrease to just 9 from the current 120. The large number of exams has led to the overlapping scheduling of exams for different universities and fields of study. The reform introduces joint entrance exams that combine multiple fields of study and will be organised in a way that avoids overlapping schedules, allowing more applicants to apply to all the programs they are interested in.
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Improved timing: Entrance exams will take place slightly later than before, allowing applicants to receive their certificate-based selection results before taking the entrance exams. Currently, entrance exams are held in late May or early June, at a time when not all certificate-based results are available, requiring some applicants to prepare unnecessarily for the exam.
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Preparation material for the entrance examination is reduced: Applicants will still receive preparatory materials, but these will be significantly shortened and provided only 2–4 days before the exam, depending on the field of study.
The aim of the reform is to reduce the burden on applicants, and to give them a better opportunity to apply to various fields of education and to several universities. This reform applies only to written entrance exams for universities and will not affect aptitude tests, such as those used in teacher education programs.
All the renewed entrance exams will consist of two parts: A common section for all applicants will assess general academic readiness and skills and competences that are relevant to all fields covered by the exam. A separate field-specific section in each field of study evaluates the essential skills and competencies needed for the field in question. In addition, there is also an aptitude test in some fields of study, such as for teaching degrees.
Fields like engineering and education already have years of experience with joint entrance exams across universities. According to these experiences, the shared exams are effective for both applicants and universities. That provides a solid foundation for the broader implementation of this reform.
Source: Eurydice Unit Finland
