Development and Implementation Plan for the Matriculation Examination

Contents

1. Principles for the implementation and development of the Matriculation Examination
2. Implementation of the examination
3. Development of the examination
4. Long-term development of the examination
5. Resources
6. Communications and stakeholder cooperation
7. Quality management
8. Monitoring

Background

The Matriculation Examination is governed, organised and implemented by the Matriculation Examination Board, an independent expert body appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture for a term of three years at a time (Act 502/2019, section 2, subsection 1). The Matriculation Examination Board prepares the tests and assesses candidates’ performances independently, without influence from third parties such as other public authorities, providers of general upper secondary education, higher education institutions or other stakeholders (Government Proposal HE 235/2018). Legislation on the Matriculation Examination and general upper secondary education, together with the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education issued by the Finnish National Agency for Education, provide the framework for the development of the examination. The Matriculation Examination Board prepares a proposal for a four‑year development and implementation plan for the examination, which is approved by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Act 502/2019, section 2, subsection 2).

The development and implementation plan enables the Ministry of Education and Culture to steer the Matriculation Examination Board in terms of the objectives, key measures and indicators related to the development and implementation of the examination. The plan also identifies resource needs related to reforms and development. Routine, small-scale development of the examination forms part of normal operations and is carried out within the limits of the State budget.

The preparation of the development and implementation plan has been supported by a monitoring group for the development of the Matriculation Examination. The group has provided input to the preparation and has been consulted during the drafting phase of the plan. The group is chaired by the Chair of the Matriculation Examination Board. Its members represent the following organisations: the Association of Principals of General Upper Secondary Schools for Adults; The Association of Subject Teachers (subject teacher associations including associations for teachers of Finnish language and literature, history and social studies, physical education and health education, biology and geography, religion, philosophy and worldview studies, mathematics, psychology, languages, and guidance counsellors); the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene; the Swedish-speaking Teachers’ Association in Finland (FSL); Swedish Speaking School Student Union of Finland (FSS); the Ministry of Education and Culture; the Association of Experts in Education and Culture OPSIA; Trade Union of Education, OAJ; the Finnish National Agency for Education; Pro Lukio; the Association of Principals of Teacher Training Schools in Finland HARRE; the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities; the Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland; Finnish Association of Small Upper Secondary Schools; the Finnish Principals Association; The Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities (Unifi); and the Federation of Private Schools.

1 Starting points for the implementation and development of the Matriculation Examination

The competence demonstrated in the Matriculation Examination indicates how well the candidate has acquired the knowledge and skills described in the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education intended for young people, as well as the required level of maturity (Act 502/2019, section 1, subsection 1). When implemented reliably, the Matriculation Examination measures competence in line with upper secondary curricula in a nationally consistent manner.

Completion of the examination provides general eligibility for higher education, and the tests are used in student admissions in a manner determined by higher education institutions (Act 502/2019, section 1, subsection 3). The Matriculation Examination Certificate is also used by graduates when applying to study abroad.

The tests of the Matriculation Examination are organised digitally. Candidates work on a computer in the test, using a set of software that is identical for all and offers a wide range of functions. The digital environment enables a versatile assessment of candidates’ knowledge, skills and maturity. During the test, candidates’ access to computer functions is restricted, and their use of the computer is monitored technically. The test system is designed to cope with various exceptional situations, and candidates’ responses are backed up at different stages.

The Matriculation Examination forms part of the quality assurance of the education system. Appropriately designed tests and high-quality assessment of responses provide information on the learning outcomes set for subjects, regardless of the education provider or institution. The examination provides information on an individual candidate’s competence in the subjects included in their examination; offers teachers a point of reference for developing the quality of their teaching and assessment; provides education providers with information on resource use and the quality of teaching; and supplies education policymakers and administrators with insights into the functioning of the education system. Digital test responses and extensive registers enable new types of research approaches for evaluating and studying the functioning of the Finnish education system. The Board promotes research by granting permits to use the data in its possession.

During the development period beginning in 2023, the operating environment of the Matriculation Examination is being shaped by education policy objectives, the accelerating digitalisation of society, and preparedness for various types of disruptions. The size of age cohorts in general upper secondary education is expected to begin to decline from 2027 onwards. These changes are taken into account in the Board’s work, for example in test design and information system development. The Board also guides and supports institutions in cooperation with education providers, principals, teachers and other staff during these changes.

Higher education institutions independently decide how they use grades from the Matriculation Examination in student admissions. Admission based on the grades from the Matriculation Examination constitutes a significant part of student selection in higher education. Comparable grades produced through a reliably implemented Matriculation Examination are a prerequisite for the extensive use of certificate-based admissions.

The Board promotes the internationally respected status of the Matriculation Examination to ensure that those who have completed it can also use the certificate when applying to higher education abroad. The Board monitors developments in assessment and assessment methods both nationally and internationally.

2 Implementation of the Matriculation Examination

Approximately 30,000 candidates complete the Matriculation Examination each year. The number of examinations completed is affected by the size of the age cohort, students’ transitions to general upper secondary education or vocational education and training, and the extension of compulsory education. Completing the Matriculation Examination requires the completion of the general upper secondary school syllabus or other studies required by law.

A total of approximately 70,000 candidates enrol for the tests each year. Some sit tests in both the autumn and the spring examination. After completing the examination, tests may be retaken, and the examination may be supplemented with different tests and syllabi. It is also possible to sit the Matriculation Examination tests as separate tests without the aim of completing the full examination.

Table 1 in the annex (below) shows the number of completed examinations, enrolled candidates and test performances annually. According to current population forecasts, the size of general upper secondary school age cohorts will begin to decline in 2027.

In examinations started in spring 2022 or later, at least five tests must be completed. Since autumn 2019, candidates have been allowed to retake passed tests an unlimited number of times. The extension of compulsory education has enabled candidates to complete the Matriculation Examination free of charge since autumn 2021. The number of candidates covered by free-of-charge tests will increase until 2024. The Board monitors the impact of legislative changes on the number of tests taken and examinations completed.

The Board will continue implementing the changes decided during the previous four-year development plan period. The structure of the mathematics tests will change as of autumn 2024. From autumn 2025 onwards, only a test based on the basic syllabus will be offered in Latin.

The Matriculation Examination Board prepares 42 tests twice a year. The test based on the advanced syllabus in Latin will be organised for the last time in spring 2025, after which the total number of tests will be 41. Tests in mathematics, humanities and natural sciences, and foreign languages are offered in Finnish and Swedish. Accessible versions of tests are produced as necessary for candidates with visual or hearing impairments.

The tests of the Matriculation Examination are based on the compulsory and nationally optional studies of general upper secondary education. The tests include interdisciplinary tasks. (VA612/2019, Section 5)

General upper secondary schools are responsible for organising the test sessions for their students simultaneously twice a year (Act 502/2019, Section 4(1)). Education providers are also obliged to organise the Matriculation Examination tests for individuals who have previously completed the examination at the provider’s general upper secondary school (Act 502/2019, Section 4(2)). The principal is responsible for organising the examination at the school (Act 502/2019, Section 4(3)). Test performances are preliminarily checked and assessed by the subject teacher designated by the education provider (Act 502/2019, Section 18(2)). In addition, implementation of the examination requires other staff of the education providers, such as IT support and administrative personnel. In 2022, there were 331 general upper secondary schools in Finland; in addition, tests were organised at the Finnish School of the Costa del Sol in Spain. Approximately 7,000 teachers participate annually in the preliminary assessment.

Candidates who, due to illness, disability, dyslexia, being a speaker of another language, or another comparable reason, are unable to take the Matriculation Examination tests in the same way as other candidates may, upon application, be granted special arrangements. The number of applications for special arrangements, and the related guidance provided to schools and candidates, has increased since 2019, when the new legislation on general upper secondary education and the Matriculation Examination entered into force. The Board also processes a large number of applications concerning individual candidates’ enrolment.

The Board provides up-to-date information and guidance in an accessible manner in both Finnish and Swedish to general upper secondary schools, candidates and the public. The Board’s customer service and on-call support assist school staff in implementing the examination and guiding candidates.

In its decision-making and in assessing test performances and preparing tests, the Board ensures that confidence in the independence and impartiality of the examination is not compromised. Equal treatment of candidates is safeguarded, among other means, through the Board’s guidelines on disqualification.

The implementation of the Matriculation Examination is a central part of organising general upper secondary education. In its regulations, guidelines and practical decisions, the Board takes into account the reasonableness of implementation for education providers, principals, teaching staff and other personnel. Development work is carried out in cooperation with stakeholders, and the impacts of major changes on different actors are assessed.

Completing the Matriculation Examination is part of educational rights, which must also be safeguarded under exceptional circumstances. The test sessions are organised as comprehensively as possible in all security situations (Security Strategy for Society, Government Resolution of 2 November 2017).

The Ministry of Education and Culture appoints the Chair and other members of the Board (VA612/2019, Section 1(1)) for a term of three years at a time. The Board appoints adjunct members for the preparation and assessment of tests (VA612/2019, Section 1(2)). Approximately 420 members or adjunct members participate annually in the preparation and assessment of tests. Adjunct members work primarily in universities, universities of applied sciences, general upper secondary schools and the Finnish National Agency for Education. Around one hundred task writers and a support team consisting of civil servants from the Board’s Secretariat participate in test preparation. In addition, language editors, translators and subtitlers are involved in test preparation and quality assurance. A significant proportion of adjunct members participating in assessment work as general upper secondary school teachers.

The administration and technical implementation of the Matriculation Examination are handled by the secretariat of the Matriculation Examination Board, which operates as a separate unit within the Finnish National Agency for Education (Act 564/2016, Section 6a). The Ministry of Education and Culture appoints the Secretary General who heads the Secretariat (Act 502/2019, Section 2(3)). Approximately 25 civil servants work in the Secretariat. They are responsible for the technical production of tests, the management of data flows related to the examination (such as enrolment data and results), customer service for schools and candidates, and decisions concerning individual candidates. Information systems are developed by competitively tendered suppliers under the guidance of the Board’s Secretariat.

The Matriculation Examination Board operates at the premises of the Finnish National Agency for Education in Helsinki.

3 Development of the Examination

The development priorities for the four-year period are:

• Development of the Abitti2025 test system
• Oral language proficiency and the oral part
• Continuous development of tests and assessment
• Preparation and implementation of reforms in line with the Government Programme

The Abitti test system used in the Matriculation Examination and in preparation for it must be further developed in order to safeguard the digital administration of tests and to reduce the burden of arrangements both in general upper secondary schools and in the Matriculation Examination Board. In January 2023, the Board published a report on the further development of Abitti. Based on this report, the next major development step is the transition from a system run from a USB drive to an Abitti application installed on the computer. From the perspective of candidates and schools, a key aspect of the change is to ensure a sufficient transition period from the old system to the new one. Ensuring information security and data protection, as well as taking various special arrangements into account, is also important. The nature of the Matriculation Examination would remain essentially unchanged after the reform.

The development of Abitti is based on the needs of candidates, school staff and education providers in preparing for the Matriculation Examination. The Board does not have the resources or the mandate to develop Abitti as a learning environment. It is intended that the new Abitti application will be partly released as open source, which would allow organisations interested in using Abitti to develop the test system and related services to better suit their own needs or teaching use in upper secondary schools.

The Matriculation Examination Board is preparing to introduce an oral part into the tests of foreign languages and the second national language. An oral part is necessary in order to take into account the objectives for oral language proficiency set out in the national core curriculum in the Matriculation Examination. The oral part may be introduced gradually in the advanced syllabi of foreign languages and in the tests of the second national language between 2026 and 2028. Developing the test system to organise the oral part will enable schools to practise test arrangements. The reform of the language test requires systematic and comprehensive communication by the Board to candidates, teachers, schools and education providers. In addition to technical implementation, the introduction of the new assessment target requires resources for censoring and preliminary assessment. Decisions on resources will be made separately on the basis of specific negotiations. This will affect both implementation and scheduling.

The Matriculation Examination Board will continue to develop tests and assessment. The development is based on the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education and on ensuring equality among candidates. Preparation is carried out in cooperation with stakeholders. Decisions on development measures are taken by the Board.

From spring 2023 to spring 2025, both the 2015 and 2019 national core curricula for general upper secondary education are taken into account in test construction and assessment. This may involve, for example, alternative tasks, materials that help level out differences between curricula, or the acceptance of different curricular perspectives in assessment. Subject-specific and test-specific solutions are confidential. Tests will change gradually as the core curricula change. After the transition period, the Board will prepare to increase the transparency of the links between tests and the core curricula.

The Board has adopted common principles for setting interdisciplinary tasks. From the spring 2023 examination onwards, interdisciplinary tasks may be based on transversal competences described in the 2019 national core curriculum for general upper secondary education. Interdisciplinary tasks must not create hidden compulsory elements in the examination, meaning that, in practice, achieving a good grade in one examination subject must not require detailed knowledge of another subject.

The Board participates in the preparation and implementation of reforms in accordance with the Government Programme in ways to be agreed separately with the Ministry of Education and Culture. Measures will be agreed in more detail with the Ministry at different stages of the implementation of the Government Programme. From the perspective of the Matriculation Examination, key objectives in the Government Programme include:

• “Enabling the completion of the Matriculation Examination in English under strictly defined criteria. Ensuring that English‑language provision does not undermine education provided in the national languages, but instead enhances Finland’s attractiveness to international actors and return migrants.”
• “Establishing national criteria for general upper secondary school diplomas and enabling the replacement of one compulsory Matriculation Examination test with such a diploma. In the future, one of the five tests could be replaced by a diploma.”

The Finnish National Agency for Education, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture, has drawn up a proposal for a development plan for general upper secondary school diplomas (OPH-5219-2021), on the basis of which the Ministry will make policy decisions and determinations in cooperation with the Agency. The Matriculation Examination Board will support the development of these diplomas included in the general upper secondary school syllabus through its assessment expertise, in cooperation with the Finnish National Agency for Education, in a manner to be agreed separately at a later stage. Measures will be specified in more detail as the development work progresses.

4 Long-term development of the examination

During the development period starting in 2023, the Matriculation Examination Board will identify development needs and carry out preparatory work for future development and implementation plans aimed at keeping the examination up to date and making use of technological opportunities. Possible development perspectives include:

• Developing the structure of tests, for example by dividing tests into parts that allow the use of different tools and the pacing of work so that the time required of candidates and general upper secondary schools remains reasonable
• Developing tests and the tools used in them, for example by introducing spelling and proofreading functions, dictionaries or tools enabled by artificial intelligence
• Developing assessment, for example by expanding centrally assessed tasks or by introducing tools that support assessment
• Producing the background information required for possible future legislative or regulatory amendments, in accordance with requests from the Ministry

5 Resources

The operating expenditure of the Matriculation Examination Board is covered by appropriations allocated in the State budget (item 29.01.03) and by fees charged to candidates for the Matriculation Examination. As a result of the extension of compulsory education, additional funding has been allocated to net expenditure for the completion of Matriculation Examination tests free of charge in 2021–2024. After the transitional period, candidates will pay examination fees for, for example, retaking passed tests and for completing more than five tests.

* (incl. Abitti2025 and the oral part €2,000,000)

The maintenance and minor development of the digital test and the test system are carried out through core funding. The Matriculation Examination Board has proposed, in the preparation of the 2024 State budget, provision for the renewal of the test system in accordance with the Abitti2025 report and for enabling the oral part. The further development of the Abitti2025 test system requires separate funding. The total implementation costs would amount to €7,000,000 in 2024–2027, of which €5.5 million would be allocated to the renewal of the test system and €1.5 million to the technical implementation of the oral part. The costs for 2024 related to renewing the test system and preparing the oral part would be €2 million. The method of implementation chosen for the oral part will affect possible annual costs.

Measures required by the Government Programme must be assessed as part of the preparatory work. Any additional funding will be decided on the basis of separate negotiations. Such funding must be sufficiently predictable and specified in good time so that it can be taken into account in the General Government Fiscal Plan and in the preparation of the State budget.

The recruitment, training and retention of experts involved in drafting tests and in assessment are essential to the reliability and comparability of the examination. The work requires expertise in assessment, confidentiality, precision and the ability to work efficiently. The fees paid to adjunct members should reflect the demands of the work, and they need to be increased to ensure that their real value does not decrease.

6 Communication and stakeholder engagement

The Matriculation Examination Board communicates and cooperates with its key stakeholders in both national languages. Through adequate and up-to-date communication, the Board ensures that candidates and educational institutions have equal opportunities to prepare for completing and implementing the examination in the best possible way. Key information and services related to completing and implementing the examination are easily available and accessible on the Board’s website and in its other communication channels.

Close cooperation between the Matriculation Examination Board and education providers is a prerequisite for the implementation of the examination. General upper secondary schools and their head teachers are responsible for the practical arrangements of the examination, and cooperation with schools is continuous. The Board also collects feedback and development suggestions from its other stakeholders, for example through feedback forms, requests for statements, and events and workshops in the education sector. This feedback supports the development of the examination. 

Communication and stakeholder engagement are developed without compromising the independence of the Matriculation Examination Board, the confidentiality of examination tests, or the equality of candidates. Key information on tests and assessment is available to candidates and general upper secondary schools on the Board’s website in Finnish and Swedish.

7 Quality management

The Matriculation Examination plays an important role in quality assurance in general upper secondary education. The tests in the Matriculation Examination are based on the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education, and the examination produces assessment data on how the curriculum has been implemented in teaching. Unlike grades awarded by educational institutions, the grades in the Matriculation Examination are nationally comparable by nature, and the examination thus ensures consistent and fair assessment of students. (HE 235/2018)

The Quality Strategy for General Upper Secondary Education 2030 defines nationally coherent principles for quality management and its governance in general upper secondary education (Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture 2022:43). Data obtained from the Matriculation Examination supports the continuous improvement of quality and the continuum of planning, implementation and development, in which the data collected are used in diverse ways to improve operations.

The role of the Matriculation Examination as the school-leaving examination and as a qualification providing eligibility for higher education requires a high-quality implementation of test construction, the assessment of test performances and examination arrangements. Quality management ensures equal treatment of candidates in the Matriculation Examination and the use of examination grades in student selection. The Matriculation Examination Board is independently responsible for quality management practices and their monitoring.

Members of the Matriculation Examination Board, who are persons with strong subject expertise as referred to in section 3 of the Act on the Matriculation Examination (502/2019), together with adjunct members approved by the Board, prepare the tests. The content quality of the tests is ensured through a multi-stage approval procedure within the Board. Technical quality is the responsibility of officials of the Board’s office. Absolute test confidentiality in test construction ensures the equal treatment of candidates.

Uniform grades are awarded to test performances in the Matriculation Examination, which is ensured through a multi-stage assessment procedure. Test performances are preliminarily examined and assessed by the subject teacher designated by the education provider (Act 502/2019, section 18(2)). If the education provider is unable to designate a teacher of the relevant subject who can assess the performance, the preliminary assessment is carried out by the Matriculation Examination Board (Act 502/2019, section 18(2)). Test performances are finally examined and assessed by the Matriculation Examination Board (Act 502/2019, section 18(2)). The Board’s censors assess all performances and assign scores to them in accordance with assessment criteria agreed jointly in each subject section. The Board determines the grade boundaries separately for each examination round once the assessment has been completed.

A decision of the Matriculation Examination Board by which a test performance has been assessed may be subject to a request for administrative review as provided in the Act on the Matriculation Examination (Act 502/2019, section 22). In addition, the Board monitors the quality of assessment and continuously develops its quality assurance.

High-quality examination arrangements ensure that candidates have equal opportunities to demonstrate their competence, take into account candidates’ special needs, and ensure that all test performances are securely stored. Uniform examination arrangements are laid down in the Board’s regulations and instructions, which general upper secondary schools must follow. The Board’s telephone support assists school staff with examination arrangements on examination days. The Matriculation Examination Board offers candidates and general upper secondary schools the opportunity to practise digital tests, as well as technical guidance for implementing examination arrangements. Risks related to the implementation of the examination are continuously assessed. The reliability and information security of the digital systems used in administering the examination are audited both during development and in production. Provision has been made for managing various exceptional situations by applying operating models developed over decades as well as by introducing new safeguards and procedures.

8 Monitoring

The Matriculation Examination Board monitors the execution of the implementation and development plan. This monitoring is supported by a steering group for the development of the Matriculation Examination. Any deviations are reported to the Ministry of Education and Culture.

A review meeting is held with the Ministry of Education and Culture at the midpoint of the planning period to provide an overview of implementation and development. The Matriculation Examination Board also monitors other development needs that arise outside the plan and responds to them within its available resources.

Annex

The table and figure below present, by year, the number of completed Matriculation Examinations, the number of individual candidates enrolled, and the number of test performances. Approximately 30,000 candidates complete the Matriculation Examination each year. The size of the age cohort and the distribution of students between general upper secondary education and vocational education affect the number of completed examinations. The method for calculating accepted examinations changed on 1 August 2019 following a legislative amendment. Each year, approximately 70,000 individual candidates enrol for the Matriculation Examination tests. Some candidates sit tests in both the autumn and spring examinations. Approximately 200,000 test performances are taken annually. The number of test performances has increased in recent years, but the growth has levelled off.

Table 1: Completed examinations, enrolled candidates and test performances, 2018–2022.

The Matriculation Examination Board organises 42 tests twice a year. From autumn 2025 onwards, the number of tests will decrease by one, as only one test in Latin will be organised. Tests in mathematics, humanities and natural sciences, and foreign languages are provided in Finnish and Swedish. The table shows the annual number of test performances in different subjects and syllabi.

Table 2: Test performances in examination tests, 2018–2022.