Do Finnish schools have exams?

There are no mandated standardized tests in Finland, apart from one exam at the end of students' senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. Finland's schools are publicly funded.

What do Finland do instead of exams?

Finland has no standardized tests. Their only exception is something called the National Matriculation Exam, which is a voluntary test for students at the end of an upper-secondary school (equivalent to an American high school.)

Are there GCSEs in Finland?

Because in Finland, there is no equivalent to GCSEs. Nor are there tests at school entry, or SATS. In fact, students don't take any high stakes or formal exams until they are 18 or 19, and often not even then, as children have the chance to choose vocational education at 16.

Do Finnish schools have grades?

In Finland, the grading scale used is 4-10 in comprehensive and upper secondary schools and 0-5 in vocational and higher education institutions. The grading scales used are not proportional scales and therefore do not fully correspond to the European ECTS grading scale.

How many exams are there in Finland?

There are no national examinations in comprehensive school education. Only national examination in Finnish education system is matriculation examination in general upper secondary education.

Why Finland's schools outperform most others across the developed world | 7.30

Is Finland a country with no exams?

Apart from one exam at the end of a student's senior year in high school, Finland has no mandated standardised tests, a report by Smithsonian explains. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions.

What is GCSE equivalent in Finland?

Undergraduate Study

We can also accept grade 4 on the English and Maths component of the Ylioppilastutkinto / studentexamen as equivalent to GCSE English Language and Maths.

Why do Finnish schools do so well?

Finland's schools are publicly funded. The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators.

Do kids have exams in Finland?

One important goal is that the students learn how to think for themselves and assume responsibility over their own learning. The teacher evaluates the students' progress in school. In comprehensive education, all grades are given by the teacher. There are no national examinations as such.

How long is a school day in Finland?

Typically, the Finnish school day starts anywhere from 9 to 9:45 a.m., and students typically spend only about five hours a day in the classroom. What's more, Finnish students typically have little to no homework.

Is education easy in Finland?

Yes. Finland's forward-thinking teaching and flexible education pathways make it one of the best education systems. It ranks 8th among the top 10 well-educated countries in 2023 by the World Population Review.

Why do Finnish schools start at 7?

The idea is that before seven they learn best through play, so by the time they finally get to school they are keen to start learning.

Is homework allowed in Finland?

In Finland we do give homework, but it is only given when the teacher feels that it is necessary for the students.

Which country has the hardest education system?

Korean Educational System Is The Toughest In The World. South Korea boasts one of the world's premier educational systems, renowned for its challenging and rigorous nature. Korean students consistently outperform their global counterparts in academic achievement.

How does Finland test their students?

Standardized tests and Finland's education system

Finland's education system has one major standardized test, the national matriculation examination. This test is taken by students at the end of their general upper secondary education and consists of four exams. Students must take a mother tongue language exam.

What are the disadvantages of Finland education system?

Its ability to support high-achieving students, however, is poor. Pentti, a teacher, says that the Finnish system cannot yet “adequately take care of those students who are gifted in a certain subject.” This issue has partially been addressed by allowing students who do well in maths to focus more on maths.

Are phones allowed in Finland schools?

Last month, Finland banned the use of phones in classrooms in an effort to improve exam results. The rules will require students to keep their phones in their bags while they are at school.

Is Finnish education really that good?

The Finnish education system is one of the best in the world. International students come in big groups yearly to experience a new way to learn higher education.

Is it illegal to not go to school in Finland?

In Finland, all children go to school, because according to the law, all children must receive comprehensive education. Teachers are highly educated and the teaching is of high quality in all schools.

Is school in Finland stressful?

The Finnish system of education is stress-free as there is no external inspection. Instead, the system places great trust in teachers and principals, and provides them with autonomy, thus reducing stress.

What are school hours in Finland?

Usually, school starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m., with an hour for lunch and 15 minutes between each class, so students have plenty of time to relax between classes!

Why is there no homework in Finland?

The truth is that there is nearly no homework in the country with one of the top education systems in the world. Finnish people believe that besides homework, there are many more things that can improve child's performance in school, such as having dinner with their families, exercising or getting a good night's sleep.

What is the passing marks in Finland?

As a rule of thumb, passing an examination requires obtaining 50% of the maximum points in the examination. There is almost no grade inflation in Finland and students' grade averages of over 4.0 are rare. In fact, it is not uncommon for an examination to be failed—or passed with grade 1—by most students.

What are the English exams in Finland?

A valid TOEFL or IELTS (Academic) test score is needed for admissions. Also, some other official tests, such as PTE-Pearson Test of English or Cambridge ESOL CPE/CAE are also accepted. Contact the respective institution to know about the English language tests accepted by them.