Does Finland 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.

Do students in Finland have exams?

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. Instead, learning results are being monitored with sample-based evaluations.

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.

Does Finland have final exams?

An educational approach is to prepare children for their future life, but not for exams. That is why classes are mainly focused on developing practical skills and there are no exams (the only exam they need to pass is the exam before university, taken at the age of 19).

Standardized Testing: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

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.

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.

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 English taught in Finland schools?

Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country's second official language), children would learn a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age 9.

Why is Finland school system so good?

Emphasis on foundational basics is an important reason why Finland has the best education system in the world because students are provided with the time and scope to build the best foundation and basics at their own pace.

Is Finland education 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.

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.

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 school free in Finland?

In Finland, education is free at all levels for pupils and students. There are no tuition fees from pre-primary until higher education.

How do Finnish schools work?

All children who reside permanently in Finland must attend compulsory education. Primary and lower secondary education (comprehensive school) is free of charge. Comprehensive schools are maintained by the local authorities (municipalities) and other education providers.

How long is Finland summer break?

6. There are a total of 190 school days in a Finnish school year. School year starts in the middle of August and ends in May. Finnish kids have about 10 weeks of summer holiday as well as holidays in autumn, Christmas break and winter usually in February.

Does Finland have 3 hours of school?

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!

Do students in Finland wear uniforms?

Students don't wear uniforms in Finland. You can dress however you like for school!

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.

Do they have homework in Finland?

Required subjects are most often covered during the school day which reduces the need for homework. Homework is seen more as a recap of what has been learned in the class but it is not supposed to take a hours of time at home.

Is it hard to be a teacher in Finland?

Teacher Recruitment

Finnish teacher education programs, like most graduate programs in Finland, are highly selective. Historically, only one out of every ten applicants to primary education programs is admitted; while that number has increased slightly, it is still highly competitive.

What is a passing grade in Finland?

The "school grade" system has, historically, been a scale of 0 to 10, but all grades lower than 4 have been consolidated into a grade of 4. Thus, it is now divided between a failing grade (4), and 5–10, the passing grades. This is similar to the Romanian grading scale.

Do they have grades in Finland?

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.