Secondary school
General section
Assessment of learning
The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture emphasises that all assessment should primarily consider the competence of students. All upper secondary school studies are arranged according to competence levels. Since upper secondary schools organise their own study programmes, they are expected to enable students to choose different ways to achieve the competence criteria for each level. As a rule, the receiving school should base its assessment on the school from which the students come when considering whether the relevant competence elements have been achieved.
Evaluation of learning between schools
A student who transfers between schools that operate according to the National Curriculum Guide for Upper Secondary Schools has the right to have studies that he or she has completed with satisfactory results assessed for credits at the same proficiency level at the receiving school, provided that the studies fall within the curriculum and program descriptions of the school in question.
Secondary schools must set out clear procedures for assessing the learning of students who change their study programme or come from another school. The following rules for assessment apply, but it is expected that secondary schools will detail their implementation in the school curriculum.
- Receiving schools shall assess courses at the same proficiency level as they are defined in the students’ previous school, regardless of the teaching arrangement.
- It is permitted to state this on a diploma if studies from another school are assessed.
Practical skills assessment for upper secondary school programs
A formal assessment is a structured process where a student’s comprehensive experience and knowledge are formally assessed. The assessment may be based on previous education, work experience and other experience acquired outside the formal education system. A formal assessment may result in students being deemed to have completed individual courses and/or having their work-based training part of their studies shortened.
A practical skills assessment is particularly useful for those who have not completed formal education at the upper secondary school level, have worked in the labour market for at least three years and have reached the age of twenty-three at a minimum and have acquired knowledge, skills and competence in work in a specific field that can be used in studies leading to a final exam. In certified trades, a minimum of five years of work experience in the labour market is required and that the individual has reached the age of twenty-five. An applicant for a practical skills assessment must submit the necessary documents to support the application, such as a learning agreement, a certificate from employers supported by a pension fund statement, a summary of studies or courses or other information that can be used in assessing the application.
Conducting a practical skills assessment
When assessing actual skills based on the competence requirements of upper secondary school programmes, the aim is to assess the knowledge, skills and competence of the person concerned based on given criteria for the programme that the student is aiming to complete. The competence requirements and the final objectives of the programme should be taken into account and it should be noted that there can be a variety of paths to the same goal. It should not be sought whether previous studies or experience are exactly comparable to the requirements of the curriculum, but rather whether the study or work experience can be assessed as equivalent and whether the student has the prerequisites to complete the programme that he or she is aiming for.
The implementation of practical skills assessment is discussed in more detail in the regulations on continuing education.