Legislation on the Reform

In December 2024, Parliament adopted legislation under which tests in arts and practical subjects will be introduced to the Matriculation Examination from autumn 2029 onwards.

Under section 10 of the Act on the Matriculation Examination (502/2019), a candidate completing the Matriculation Examination must take at least five tests from the following groups:

  1. mother tongue and literature
  2. mathematics
  3. the second national language
  4. foreign languages
  5. humanities and natural sciences
  6. arts and practical subjects

One test must be taken from group 1, three tests from different groups 2–5, and one test from groups 2–6. In addition, the examination may include one or more other tests from any of groups 1–6.

In connection with the reform, the legislation on the Matriculation Examination was amended, and in the future, the tests may also include preparatory competence demonstrations (Act 502/2019, section 4, subsection 4, paragraph 4). Preparatory competence demonstrations are linked to the tests in arts and practical subjects and would be completed before the actual test. The preparatory competence demonstration would thus be an integral part of the test: if a candidate retakes the actual test, they must also retake the associated preparatory competence demonstration. A candidate’s test performance is rejected if they do not participate in the preparatory competence demonstration (section 14).

In the legislation, the arts and practical subjects of the Matriculation Examination are defined as visual arts, physical education and music (Government Decree on the Matriculation Examination 612/2019, section 4, subsection 4).

In connection with the reform, it has been decided that the general upper secondary school diplomas in visual arts, physical education and music will be discontinued for students who begin their general upper secondary school studies on or after 1 August 2027. For this reason, the Finnish National Agency for Education has launched the development of three new general upper secondary school diplomas. General upper secondary schools may include these in their curricula from 1 August 2027 onwards.

Responsibility for the steering, organisation and implementation of the Matriculation Examination lies with the Matriculation Examination Board, acting as an independent expert body (Act 502/2019, section 2, subsection 1, paragraph 4). The Matriculation Examination Board issues more detailed provisions on the organisation of the tests and on related timetables and arrangements (Act 502/2019, section 4, subsection 4).