Arene: Student admissions at universities of applied sciences: questions and answers
The regulations and guidelines issued by the authorities are to be complied with when carrying out student admissions during the coronavirus epidemic. This may lead to changes in the following matters.
Number 4 was updated 13 May
1 How have the universities of applied sciences decided to carry out student admissions during spring 2020?
Due to the state of emergency, changes have been made to the student admissions process for universities of applied sciences.
Universities of applied sciences will select students by means of certificate-based admissions and a two-stage entrance examination. The test is arranged in two stages in order to verify the identity of the candidates. This is important to prevent cheating.
Both exams assess the applicants’ capacities for higher education studies, and there are no preliminary material for either of them. In this respect, the arrangements are no different from the normal university of applied sciences entrance examination.
The stage one entrance examination date is 4 June. There will be two different examinations. Applicants who have registered for the university of applied sciences entrance examination during the joint application period will take part in the morning exam. The afternoon examination is for those applicants who initially registered for this.
The second stage examination will be held on a date that will be announced in June.
2 Which applicants are affected?
The change to the two-stage entrance examination affects applicants who have registered for the university of applied sciences entrance examination through the joint application process.
3 When will I know if I have to take the entrance examination?
The results of the certificate-based admissions will be available on 27 May. Applicants who have not been admitted to their top choice based on their school certificate will participate in the entrance exam.
Applicants will get more information about the entrance exam from the Studyinfo.fi
4 What is the timetable for student admissions to universities of applied sciences?
- 27 May The results of the certificate-based admissions shall be communicated to the applicants by
- 4 June First stage entrance examination
- Later in June Second stage entrance examination
- 15 July The results of the admissions not based on school certificates shall be communicated to the applicants by
- 3 pm on 22 July. The applicant must give notification of whether they will accept the study place by
- 3 pm on 3 August. Admission of those on the waiting list ends.
- Studies start in August–September 2020
5 How the certificate-based admissions work
Approximately half of the study places at universities of applied sciences will be filled through certificate-based admissions, the results of which will be ready on 27 May. The certificate-based admissions take into account the applicants’ matriculation examination, vocational upper secondary qualifications completed on or after 1 August 2015, and international EB, IB and RP/DIA certificates.
6 What happens if I don't take the entrance examination myself?
By registering for a remote exam, the applicant undertakes to take the entrance exam independently. This means that no person other than the applicant may take part in the entrance examination. If the entrance examination is not carried out independently, this counts as cheating.
After the entrance examination, the university of applied sciences may request further clarification from the applicant if there is suspicion of cheating. If the applicant is found to have cheated in some way, their entrance examination is rejected (Administrative Procedure Act 434/2003, sections 31 and 50).
A right to study obtained by cheating may also be revoked after the study place has been accepted.
7 What does the exam require of the applicant?
The applicant must have a working computer with Internet connection. The exam software supports up-todate versions of the following browsers:
- Chrome
- Edge
- Firefox
- Internet Explorer 11
- Safari
Other modern browsers may work, as well.
You must have JavaScript and cookies enabled in your browser.
The software has been thoroughly tested with the following operating systems:
- Windows 10
- macOS 10.14
- Ubuntu Linux 18.04 LTS
Before the entrance examination, check the information on the ammattikorkeakouluun.fi website (in Finnish or Swedish).
8 Why are universities of applied sciences not carrying out student selection based on school certificate
Universities of applied sciences consider it important that applicants also have other routes into a degree programme besides certificate-based admissions.
Universities of applied sciences select approximately half of the students by selection based on school certificate. Depending on the study programme, 20–80 % of the available student places will be filled by selection based on school certificate
The number of applicants whose certificates cannot be scored in the same way as certificates for matriculation examination or vocational upper secondary qualifications completed after 1 August 2015 is 33,000. This group includes persons with an older vocational upper secondary qualification, a secondary level qualification, a further vocational qualification, a specialist vocational qualification, a degree completed abroad or a completed upper secondary school syllabus without a matriculation examination.
Extending the selection based on school certificate would not have ensured equal treatment of applicants.
9 Why was the decision to change the entrance exams made only now?
Information available on coronavirus and the epidemic is constantly increasing and changing. Prime Minister Sanna Marin communicated on 22 April that the situation in Finland has changed. The country’s government is preparing to gradually dismantle the restrictive measures.
On 9 April, universities of applied sciences provided information on the organisation of the entrance examination as a remote exam. Since then, it has become clear that it is technically difficult to organise the supervision of a remote exam for tens of thousands of applicants in a reliable manner. For this reason, the universities of applied sciences decided on carrying out a two-stage test.
10 Is the solution now chosen fair and legal for all applicants?
The decision to carry out the entrance exams in two stages gives all applicants the opportunity to aim for a study place. Issues of equality and legality are examined very carefully at all stages of the decision making process.
11 What should an applicant do now?
The changes do not require any action from the applicants at this stage.
After the certificate-based admissions, applicant should check the time of the entrance exam on 4 June and take this first stage entrance examination
The changes will be communicated on Studyinfo, the Ammattikorkeakouluun.fi website and the website of the universities of applied sciences. In addition, applicants are requested to follow the email address given in Studyinfo.