Language skills
How to Verify Your Language Skills
Verifying your language skills as required by the programme is crucial to your admissions process. Language requirements can vary between universities and different Master’s programmes, even inside one university. You need to find out the programme-specific language requirements from the website of the programme you are interested in.
If you are applying to more than one programme and you are verifying your language skills with a language test, University Admissions Finland needs to receive the test result only once. All language test results must be verifiable from the test organiser. However, if you can verify your language skills with your degree (see chapter Education in English), you must send as many transcripts of records as there are programmes you are applying to.
Education in English
As a general rule, you do not need to prove your English language skills with a language test, if you have graduated from a higher education institution in Great Britain, Ireland, United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and your degree has been fully completed in English. However, language skills requirements are always programme-specific, so please check the universities’ websites for more detailed information.
If you have chosen to prove your language skills with a degree from another country than the ones listed above and it is accepted by the programme you are applying to, the language of instruction must always be clearly marked on your educational documents. If the language of instruction is not clearly shown in your transcript of records, you need to submit official documentation, which indicates that the language of instruction is English.
If you are indicating your language skills with your educational background, note that although University Admissions Finland processes your language skills, the universities carry out the student selections and it is at their discretion whether a degree meets the language skill requirement set for the programme. If your degree includes transfer credits from outside the specified country/area or courses conducted in a language other than English, the degree might not meet the requirement. For further information, please consult the university you are applying to.
If you are applying with one degree and indicating your language skills with another, you are required to submit educational documents regarding both degrees. All educational documents must be officially certified (attested). Please also note country-specific requirements.
Language requirements are always set by the universities, and University Admissions Finland does not make exceptions to their rules.
Language Tests
If you are going to verify your language skills with a language test, make sure that you book your test time well in advance. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make his/her own language test arrangements. In general, language tests are valid for two years and the test results must be valid throughout the application period. This means it must not expire prior to the application deadline. This depends on the programme, so please check the website of the university you are interested in.
Please note that if the programme you are applying to has score requirements for different sections of the language test, e.g. total score and writing score, the minimum requirements set by the university must be met in the same test result.
When requesting the IELTS test centre to forward your language test results to us, please write down University Admissions Finland as the receiver of the test result. We accept electronic test scores only when they are made available to us online by the test organiser. Please note that trf links sent by e-mail will not be accepted.
Paper copies of IELTS score slips are accepted from both the test organiser and the applicant. They do not need to be attested, as we will always verify the test results with the test organiser. Please note that score slips sent to us as e-mail attachments will not be accepted.
Please note that universities only accept IELTS Academic test scores. Tests taken at the general level will not be accepted as proof of the applicant’s language skills.
Also note that after you have taken the test it usually takes about 13 days for the test results to be published. It is advisable to book your test date well before the application period has begun.
When requesting the TOEFL test centre to forward your results to us, please fill in University Admissions Finland’s Institution Code 3138 in the Score Report Recipient field. The testing centre must send the score slip directly to University Admissions Finland or make its electronic equivalent available to us. Please note that test results sent by the applicant will not be accepted. Be advised that after you have been informed of the test score, it takes approximately three weeks for the test result to reach University Admissions Finland.
Send your test result to University Admissions Finland together with your application. Your results will be verified from the test organiser. Include your Candidate’s ID (3 letters and 6 numbers) and secret code (4 numbers). These codes can be found on your Confirmation of Entry and Timetable document. If you do not have these codes, please contact Cambridge ESOL.
Please note that tests taken before 2005 are not accepted.
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic is a paperless test, the results of which are typically available within 5 working days following the test session. Once you receive your test score send it to University Admissions Finland from your PTE account. Choose Finland as the ‘Country’, ‘University Admissions Finland’ as the ‘Institution’ and click ‘Search’. Then select the university you want to send your results to and confirm your order. After this, we should have access to your test results within 48 hours. Be advised that online language test results will only be accepted from the test organiser.
National Certificate of English Language Proficiency by the Finnish National Board of Education
Send your test result to University Admissions Finland together with your application. Your result will be verified from the organiser.