Legislation

Adopted in Helsinki on August 13, 2004

In accordance with the decision of the Parliament, amendment of paragraph 18 of the Act on Upper Secondary School (gymnasielagen) of August 21, 1998 (629/1998), as it is in act 478/2002, and addition of paragraphs 18a and 18b, shall be as follows:

CHAPTER IV

EVALUATION AND MATRICULATION EXAMINATION (STUDENTEXAMEN)

18. Matriculation examination

Upper secondary education (gymnasieutbildningen) finishes with a matriculation examination. The purpose of the examination is to discover whether pupils have assimilated the knowledge and skills required by the curriculum for the upper secondary school and whether they have reached an adequate level of maturity in line with the goals of the upper secondary school. The examination consists of tests in the mother tongue and literature, in the second national language, in a foreign language, in mathematics and in general studies.

The matriculation examination comprises at least four tests. The candidates must take a test in mother tongue and literature and, according to their choice, three tests out of a group consisting of the test in the second national language, the test in a foreign language, the test in mathematics and the test in general studies. In addition to these, the candidates may take one or several extra tests.

Further regulations concerning the participation in the matriculation examination, the tests and their repetition, their marking and their realization in general shall be promulgated through a ministerial decree.

The matriculation examination provides the general qualification to continue studies at university.

18a. The right of other students to take the matriculation examination

Students other than students having passed the upper secondary school curriculum may take the matriculation examination and its tests, provided that they have passed

1) the upper secondary school curriculum or an equivalent at a foreign upper secondary school,

2) a vocational studies qualification (yrkesexamen) comprising at least 2½ years of studies,

3) an examination or study which is shorter than the examination referred to in the two points above, provided that the examination or study is based on a basic education of at least two years or that it corresponds to the previous curriculum, as well as the extra courses that are stipulated by the committee mentioned in paragraph 18b.

A student taking an examination mentioned in the first clause of paragraph 2 may take the matriculation examination while he or she is still in the process of completing the education that leads to the examination mentioned in the first clause of paragraph 2. A student may take the examination at the earliest once he or she has completed a study of one and a half years.

18b. The Matriculation Examination Committee (studentexamensnämnden)

The Ministry of Education shall appoint for a period of three years a Matriculation Examination Committee with the task of conducting, arranging and carrying out the matriculation examination. Further regulations concerning the Committee and its tasks shall be promulgated through a ministerial decree.

The Matriculation Examination Committee shall inform on the instructions concerning the content of the tests and how they shall be arranged and marked.

This act shall come into force on September 1, 2004.

This act shall be applied to a matriculation examination which finishes at the earliest with the first session in 2005, regardless of when the first test of the examination has been carried out.

These regulations, which shall be valid when this act comes into force, shall apply to the matriculation examination once the second session of 2004 is completed.

The Matriculation Examination Committee appointed for the period 2004-2006 shall continue for the whole term of office.

RP 47/2004

KuUB 7/2004

RSv 68/2004

Helsinki, August 13, 2004

The President of the Republic, TARJA HALONEN

The Minister of Education, Tuula Haatainen

Unofficial translation

Source: Mercator Bulletin No. 59, http://www.ciemen.org/mercator/index-gb.htm

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