As of the second joint application procedure of spring 2025, initial vocational qualifications obtained with partially or fully adjusted grades will not be taken into account in the certificate-based selection of universities of applied sciences based on vocational qualifications. This decision is based on the obligation of universities of applied sciences to carry out the selection of students in a fair manner, with consideration to the equal treatment of applicants. The same grade in the adapted assessment scale and in the vocational education and training (VET) qualification assessment scale does not reflect equal competence, and therefore the grades cannot be scored in a commensurate manner in the certificate-based selection based on initial vocational qualifications.
In the certificate-based selection of universities of applied sciences, higher education readiness is assessed and student selection is made on the basis of the grades on the vocational qualification certificate. Adaptation of the assessment of competences means that personalised, adapted assessment criteria are drafted for students with special needs. The criteria for adapted assessment are established in five levels, so that level five (5) of the adapted assessment scale means lower competence than the level 1 of satisfactory competence described in the VET qualification assessment scale.
Applicants with initial vocational qualifications obtained with partially or fully adjusted grades may still apply to study in universities of applied sciences through the UAS entrance examination or other selection methods.
Some applicants have encountered technical issues in the Candour ID application, resulting in unsuccessful pre-identification. These applicants have the opportunity to proceed in the exam process by registering for the SMOWL proctoring software. Emails have been sent to these applicants on 15 March 2024 regarding this matter. Please follow the instructions in the email. If you cannot find the email or are unsure if this concerns you, please check the matter through the login page https://login.uasexam.fi/. After logging in, you will see a link to SMOWL registration on the login page if this concerns you.
The aforementioned applicants have to register for the SMOWL proctoring software by 18 March at 15:00 Finnish time (UTC/GMT+2). On the SMOWL registration page, applicants will take a selfie of themselves and accept the terms of use. The person in the selfie must be recognizable as the same person who has applied in the Studyinfo service. Applicants who successfully register within the given timeframe on SMOWL will be invited to the International UAS Exam. These applicants do not need to complete the pre-identification in the Candour ID application.
Additionally, a similar message has also been sent to a few applicants who have not received an invitation for the pre-identification as a result of a mistake by the universities of applied sciences.
The information has been updated on this page on 15 March at 16:15.
The first phase written exam of the International UAS Exam, the joint entrance exam of Finnish UAS, was organized 8 February 2023. 27 000 participants took the exam and the participation rate was 77%.
International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS), used for selecting students to study programmes leading to a bachelor’s degree and conducted in English. The joint entrance exam was used for the first time in the spring of 2022 and now the exam is being organized for the second time. Most UAS study programmes open for application use the joint entrance exam. The applicant can take a single exam to apply for different programmes and study fields.
Most applicants taking the International UAS Exam are from outside Finland. The online entrance exam enabled the applicants to take the exam in a location of their choice, instead of having to travel to Finland. The entrance exam was successfully executed in the entrance exam system. The exam was executed with the same digital entrance exam system that is used in, among others, the UAS entrance exam.
The International UAS Exam consists of two phases. The most successful applicants of the first phase written exam per study field are invited to a group interview organized on 6–17 March 2023. The second phase group interview is also a joint exam for all study fields and the applicant participates in only one group interview. In some study programmes of social and health care fields, also the applicant’s oral language skills in Finnish/Swedish are assessed between 20 and 22 March 2023.
In the spring first application round, the universities of applied sciences have a little more than 3,200 study places in programmes leading to a bachelor’s degree open for application. The selection results will be released on Friday, June 2, at the latest. In the spring first application round, applicants may be selected to several study programmes, depending on their entrance exam success. However, approved applicants may only accept one study place leading to a higher education degree, among study programmes that start in the same semester.
New healthcare workers are highly needed in the field of nursing. There is an increasing number of nurses from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds in Finland.
In the joint application period (4 January – 18 January), 12 Universities of Applied Sciences offer study programmes of nursing in English (incl. one paramedic study programme). During January 2023, applicants to nursing education are invited to participate in a survey study “Culturally and linguistically diverse nursing applicants’ desire to work as a nurse” in the uasinfo.fi-website. The study is a Master’s thesis study. Participation to the study is entirely voluntary and does not affect student selection decisions.
If you are applying or planning to apply for nursing education, you have a possibility to participate in the study here.
The spring first joint application for higher education degree programmes starts on 4 January and ends on 18 January at 15:00 Finnish time. In this joint application, applicants apply for degree programmes offered in English starting in autumn 2023.
In the spring first joint application, universities of applied sciences (UAS) have 106 study programmes available for application. 3,224 study places are available for Bachelor’s degrees and 1,112 study places for Master’s degrees in different UAS.
International UAS Exam is a joint digital entrance exam of Finnish universities of applied sciences, used in selecting students for UAS degree programmes offered in English. Most UAS study programmes use the International UAS Exam. There are 94 study programmes included in the joint application, with a total of 2,525 study places. UAS also have other selection methods which can be used in selecting students for their programmes.
The International UAS Exam consists of two phases conducted online. The first phase written exam is organised on 8 February and the second phase group interviews between 6 and 17 March 2023. In some study programmes in social and health care, the applicants’ Finnish/Swedish skills are assessed in an oral language skills test which is organised between 20 and 22 March 2023. Those applicants who score the highest in the first phase written exam in their study field are going to be invited to the second phase group interview.
Student selection for study programmes offered in English in Finnish UAS has been developed towards a simpler and more uniform direction in 2021–2022. Now, the International UAS Exam is used in all fields of study, and it has replaced the previous field-specific entrance exams. Applying is now easier than before because the applicants can apply with a single exam for many different study programmes offered in different UAS.
Important dates:
Joint application period 4–18 January 2023
First phase written exam 8 February 2023
Second phase group interviews 6–17 March 2023
Finnish/Swedish oral language skills test 20–22 March 2023
Selection results disclosed to the applicants on 2 June 2023 at the latest
The results of the International UAS Exam, used in spring 2022 first joint application round, are now released. More than 2,200 students are selected to universities of applied sciences on the basis of the International UAS Exam.
During the past year, universities of applied sciences have developed their selection methods of programmes conducted in English to a more applicant-friendly way. The development work has proceeded fast. Universities of applied sciences launched a wide, joint UAS cooperation project to develop student selection for programmes conducted in English, and already in spring 2022 the new joint digital UAS entrance exam, the International UAS Exam, was launched.
– I am proud of our universities of applied sciences solving their joint challenges together. Finland needs international professionals and by working together, we use our resources more efficiently. In this way, we not only save resources but also generate effective results, Executive Director Ida Mielityinen of the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene says.
The use of International UAS Exam facilitates and simplifies the application process. In previous years, many different entrance exams and student selection practices for UAS programmes conducted in English have been in use, which has seemed strenuous and complicated for the applicant.
The International UAS Exam was developed to replace the previous, field-specific entrance exams. The application process is now considerably easier, as the applicant may take a single entrance exam to apply for several programmes open for application in different UAS. In the spring first joint application round 2022, a record number of applicants was noted – more than 17,000 applicants took the exam to apply for programmes using the International UAS Exam.
– This spring was the first time that we used the International UAS Exam. In developing the International UAS Exam, we based our work on the high-quality development work and best practices of the Finnish-language joint entrance exam. Universities of applied sciences will continue the development of student selection for programmes conducted in English also in the coming years, Project Manager of the UAS Student Selection Consortium Marko Borodavkin explains.
The International UAS Exam consists of two phases conducted online: a written exam and a group interview. The Finnish UAS successfully carried out these phases in February–March. The online entrance exam meant that applicants could take the exam in any location instead of having to travel to Finland for it.
In autumn 2021, the universities of applied sciences also released a joint UASinfo website, providing information on the International UAS Exam and the application process in general, selection methods and studying. The joint website further harmonizes the steering and communication of the student selection of UAS programmes conducted in English.
International UAS Exam is used for the first time in spring 2022. Due to diffculty level of the exam, the minimum pass scores of the first phase written exam have been amended (18 February 2022) in the following sections:
Reasoning skills
The original minimum pass score was 5 points. The final minimum pass score is 2 points.
English language
The original minimum pass score was 7 points. The final minimum pass score is 4 points.
Mathematical skills
The original minimum pass score was 5 points. The final minimum pass score is 2 points.
Ethical skills
The original minimum pass score was 8 points. The final minimum pass score is 2 points.
The first phase written exam of the International UAS Exam, the joint entrance exam of Finnish UAS, was organized today, 9 February 2022. 12 054 participants took the exam and the participation rate was 72,4%.
TheInternational UAS Examis used for the first time this spring. It is used to select students to UAS study programmes leading to a degree and conducted in English. In joint application procedure, 16,641 applicants applied for a programme using the joint entrance exam.
Most applicants taking the International UAS Exam are from outside Finland, mostly from non-EU/non-EEA countries. The online entrance exam enabled the applicants to take the exam in a location of their choice, instead of having to travel to Finland. The entrance exam was successfully executed in the entrance exam system. The exam was executed with the same digital entrance exam system that is used in, among others, the UAS entrance exam.
In previous years, students to UAS study programmes conducted in English have been selected by using several different entrance exams. Now, the UAS have developed their student selection in collaboration and the result, the joint entrance exam, greatly facilitates and simplifies the application process. Most UAS study programmes open for application use the joint entrance exam. The applicant can now take a single exam to apply for different programmes and study fields.
–“Universities of applied sciences have started to develop, in extensive cooperation with stakeholders of the entire UAS sector, student selection procedures of study programmes conducted in English into a more student-friendly direction. A good example of this is the successful execution of the first phase written exam of the International UAS Exam”, Marko Borovadkin, Project Manager of UAS Student Selection Consortium describes.
The International UAS Exam consists of two phases. The eligible applicants that have passed the first phase exam are invited to a group interview organized on 2–16 March 2022. The second phase group interview is also a joint exam for all study fields and the applicant participates in only one group interview. In some study programmes of social and health care fields, also the applicant’s oral language skills in Finnish and/or Swedish are assessed.
In the spring first application round, the universities of applied sciences have a little more than 3,000 study places in programmes leading to a UAS degree open for application. For programmes leading to a Master’s degree, there are almost 1,000 study places available for application.
The selection results will be released on Friday, June 3, at the latest. In the spring first application round, applicants may be selected to several study programmes, depending on their entrance exam success. However, approved applicants may only accept one study place leading to a higher education degree, among study programmes that start in the same semester.
The spring first application round to universities of applied sciences ended on Wednesday, January 19. The applicants applied for UAS study programmes conducted in English that start in autumn.
In the joint application round, over 21,000 applicants applied for Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of universities of applied sciences, almost 9,000 applicants more than in 2021. Most UAS applicants, 85%, were from other countries than Finland. 15% of the UAS applicants were Finns. Most foreign applicants were citizens of non-EU/non-EEA countries.
In the spring first application round, the universities of applied sciences had 156 study programmes open for application. In total, they have almost 4,000 study places in different UAS study programmes. Over 3,000 study places are in programmes leading to a Bachelor’s degree and some 900 study places in programmes leading to a Master’s degree. Service fields saw the highest number of applicants in relation to study places; 12.8 applicants per study place.
Joint UAS entrance exam, the International UAS exam, is organised in February
International UAS Exam is the new digital joint entrance exam of Finnish UAS, to be used in selecting students for UAS study programmes leading to a degree and conducted in English. The entrance exam will be used for the first time in spring 2022 first joint application round. Universities of applied sciences also have other selection methods in use, on the basis of which applicants may be selected to study programmes.
– I’m very proud that universities of applied sciences stand at the forefront of reform, also in this matter. Collaboration ensures that applicants find it easier to find and compare different study programmes. By combining resources, we also guarantee resources for further development, Ida Mielityinen, Executive Director of the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene describes.
Most of the study programmes use the International UAS Exam. In the joint application round, over 17,000 applicants applied for a study programme that uses the joint entrance exam.
– From the applicant’s perspective, the procedure is simpler: with a single exam, the applicant can apply for several study programmes available for application, in many study fields. An online exam may be taken anywhere in the world, and the applicant does not have to travel to Finland for it, Marko Borovadkin, Project Manager of UAS Student Selection Consortium points out.
International UAS Exam consists of two phases. The first phase written examination is organised on 9 February 2022. The written exam includes common sections to all applicants and programme-specific sections that applicants complete based on their selected study programmes. All applicants who have passed the written exam are invited to a group interview, organised between 2 and 16 March 2022. More information on the entrance exam in English is available at UASinfo website.
Selection results will be released at the beginning of June at the latest
The results of the spring first application round will be released at the latest on Friday, June 3. In the spring first application round, applicants may be selected to several study programmes, depending on their entrance exam success. However, approved applicants may only accept one study place leading to a higher education degree, among study programmes that start in the same semester.
The spring second application round is organised on 16–30 March 2022, for UAS study programmes conducted in Finnish and Swedish that start in autumn.
The figures in this release have been retrieved from Vipunen – Education Statistics Finland on 20 January 2022. The reported figures may change as applications are being processed.
Student selection procedures for Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) study programmes conducted in English are being developed into a more uniform and streamlined direction.
In recent years, several entrance exams have been in use for UAS study programmes conducted in English. From the applicant’s perspective, this has been perplexing and complicated. In 2022 UAS launch, for the first time and in close collaboration, a joint online entrance exam called the International UAS Exam. It will be used in all study fields. A new joint website UASinfo.fi has been launched to support uniform steering and communication of student selection procedures of UAS study programmes conducted in English.
International UAS Exam – new joint entrance exam
International UAS Exam is the new joint entrance exam of Finnish UAS, to be used in selecting students to UAS study programmes leading to a degree and conducted in English. The entrance exam will be used in spring 2022 first joint application round.
International UAS Exam consists of two phases. The first phase written examination will be organised on 9.2.2022. The second phase group interviews will be organised between 2.–16.3.2022. All eligible applicants who have passed the written exam will be invited to the group interview.
The entrance exam is used in all study fields and it replaces the previous field-specific entrance exams. From the applicant’s perspective, the procedure is simpler: with a single exam, the applicant can apply to several study programmes available for application, in many study fields. An online exam may be taken anywhere in the world, and the applicant does not have to travel to Finland for it. The entrance exam assesses the applicant’s readiness for UAS studies and does not include any advance reading materials or pre-assignments.
More information on student selection for study programmes conducted in English at UASinfo.fi
A joint website in English UASinfo.fi has been launched. Its purpose is to offer information on student selection of study programmes leading to a UAS degree and conducted in English.
The website offers information on how to apply for a UAS study programme conducted in English, the selection methods and studying in UAS in general. The website is aimed at those interested in UAS study programmes conducted in English, study counsellors and all those who are interested in student selection in higher education.
Along with UASinfo.fi, Ammattikorkeakouluun.fi / Yrkeshogskolestudier.fi website offers information on student selection for UAS study programmes conducted in Finnish and Swedish, and on studying in UAS in general. The website works as a joint UAS platform for communicating on student selection and studying.
After its launch, UASinfo.fi will be further developed and new information will be added. More detailed information on International UAS Exam will be updated there by the end of 2021.