General admission criteria

50% of applicants will be admitted on the basis of the entrance examination only, and 50% on the basis of the combined points for previous school performance and the entrance examination. Some polytechnics/UAS admit all their students on the basis of the entrance examination (see chapter describing the programmes). If study places become available later, applicants on the waiting list will be admitted in the order indicated by their admission points. The Polytechnics Act (351/2003) states the groups that are eligible for studies at polytechnics/UAS.

1. Admission on the basis of total of points for school performance and the entrance examination

Eligible applicants are those who have completed Finnish upper secondary education or the Finnish Matriculation examination, the European Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate or Reifeprüfung examination in Finland. Applicants completing their Matriculation, International or Reifeprüfung examination in Finland in the spring of the year of their application will be admitted with this group.

Applicants receive a maximum of 30 points for school performance and a maximum of 100 points for the entrance examination, which is scaled down to a maximum of 70 points. The maximum points total is therefore 100 points.

2. Admission on the basis of the entrance examination

Applicants with Finnish vocational degrees (vocational upper secondary qualification, completed competence based vocational qualification or competence based further vocational qualification) or whose eligibility to apply is based on non-Finnish certificates, and are not mentioned in section 1 above, apply to polytechnics/UAS studies solely on the basis of points awarded for the entrance examination. The admission of those completing an EB examination in the spring of their year of application is also based only on this method. The maximum entrance examination points total is 100. Those applying with competence based vocational qualification, competence based further vocational qualification or non-Finnish qualification must have completed the education they use for applying before the end of the application period 12 September 2008. Polytechnics/UAS accept only final certificates awarded by a national and regional bodies granting educational certificates. Therefore various other documents such as "Testimonials", "Statements of Results", "Examination Results" or "Result Slips" are not considered as official certificates.