Usein kysyttyä

Test environment

What is Abitti's digital test environment?

Abitti is a system developed by the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board for the national matriculation examination in Finland. It consists of operating systems, an online service, and related documentation. The purpose of Abitti is to allow the Board to test the examination system and provide students and schools with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with it.

In the Abitti system, exam questions are created by the exam creator and stored on a USB drive. The exam organizer prepares the exam room using servers and a network. Students then start their computers from the USB drives to begin the exam. Abitti also enables the exam creator to evaluate the exam answers, with the results sent to the participants via email.

During a digital matriculation exam, students take the exam in a supervised room at their own school. They need to bring a laptop that meets the board's requirements, along with necessary accessories. The student's own operating system and hard drive remain unchanged, while their answers are automatically saved on the exam room server and a backup server.

The exam invigilator initiates the exam, and students can start their chosen exam at the specified time. Students can use additional devices if desired, and their computer network traffic may require USB-connected adapters.

Schools are responsible for providing students with practice opportunities for using the Abitti system.

Overall, Abitti is a comprehensive system that allows the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board to test the examination system, enables students to take the matriculation exam digitally, and provides schools with the necessary tools to administer the exams successfully.

Certificates

How does the grading system work in the Finnish Matriculation Examination?

The grading system in the Finnish Matriculation Examination ensures fairness and comparability by using a standardized approach. The Board's censors assess each candidate's test according to predetermined criteria. Starting from 2014, score limits are determined based on the average of standardized total scores, improving comparability across different subjects and tests. This method takes into account the distribution of participants over two successive examination periods. The aim is to have properly comparable examinations and grades, allowing the reliable and fair use of Matriculation Examination grades for university admissions and other higher education institutions.

Read more in Assessment of the Examination.

How to validate a Matriculation Examination Certificate?

Validating of a Certificate of the Matriculation can be done in the Digital and Population Data Services agency's web service. Read the instructions for validation here.

How will candidates receive their Matriculation Examination Certificates?

Candidates will receive their Matriculation Examination Certificates at the end of the examination period after passing all four compulsory tests. From June 2023, the certificates will be available in digital format (pdf-file) in addition to the paper certificate. Digital certificates are validated by a digital signature by the Matriculation Examination Board.

More about the certificates here.

Englanninkielinen tutkinto

How does the English-language matriculation examination differ from the Finnish- or Swedish-language examination?

The English-language matriculation tests are administered as translation tests, meaning their content is the same as that of the Finnish- and Swedish-language tests. The structure of the examination is identical to that of the Finnish- and Swedish-language matriculation examinations. The mother tongue and literature test is taken as Finnish as a second language and literature if the school also provides Finnish-language general upper secondary education, and as Swedish as a second language and literature if the school also provides Swedish-language general upper secondary education.

How does the language of instruction in a general upper secondary school affect the completion of the English-language matriculation examination?

The language of instruction in a general upper secondary school is Finnish or Swedish, and it affects the completion of the English-language matriculation examination. If a candidate completes the English-language matriculation examination in a school where the language of instruction, in addition to English, is Finnish, they will take the Finnish as a second language and literature test as their mother tongue and literature test, as well as the second national language test in Swedish. In addition, the candidate will be issued, alongside the English-language matriculation certificate, a matriculation certificate in Finnish.
 
The same principles apply to Swedish-language schools, with language choices determined according to the Swedish language of instruction.

Who can supplement their matriculation examination with tests in English?

A person who has successfully completed the matriculation examination in English may supplement their examination with tests in English. A person who has completed the matriculation examination in another language may also supplement their examination with tests in English. However, the education provider is not obliged to offer this opportunity to a candidate who has completed the examination in another language.

Who is eligible to participate in the matriculation examination in English?

Participation in English-language general upper secondary education and the matriculation examination is strictly regulated by law. A candidate taking the English-language matriculation examination must be enrolled in a general upper secondary education programme that is specifically designed to lead to the English-language matriculation examination.
 
The examination may also be taken by a person who has previously completed the general upper secondary syllabus in English, for example abroad. It is also open to a person who has studied or is studying a vocational qualification in English and does not have sufficient proficiency in Finnish or Swedish. Furthermore, a person who has completed the preparatory studies required for the IB Diploma, but not the diploma itself, and who lacks sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills, may take the examination. The criteria for Finnish and Swedish language proficiency are defined in legislation.
 
Before sitting the tests, the candidate must have completed studies in the same way as for the Finnish- and Swedish-language matriculation examinations.
 
The examination can only be taken in a general upper secondary school that has an official authorisation to provide English-language education.