OYY commented on the University admissions development
The student selection processes for universities are being overhauled for the years 2025 and 2026. Earlier last year, the Oulu Student Union expressed its opinion on the reform of certificate-based selection, which is set to come into effect in 2026. A key change in the certificate-based selection reform has been to improve the alignment of the subjects in the matriculation examination with university degree programs. The overhaul of the entrance examination process is the final stage of the student selection reform this year.
The aim of the entrance examination reform is to simplify, clarify, and reduce the burden of university student selection from both the perspective of applicants and universities. A key measure in the project is to significantly reduce the number of entrance exams, which currently amount to over a hundred, making them more accessible. The current proposal of nine exams will be presented to universities in the summer, with their decision on participation to be made by the end of October.
The Student Union of University of Oulu provided feedback on the draft of the entrance examination reform. In the draft, we are concerned about the lack of subject-specific differentiated sections in some exams, while also acknowledging the time pressure they may impose on students. Separate time slots must be allocated for differentiated sections in addition to the common sections to ensure equal opportunities for applicants. Nevertheless, the total duration of the exam must remain reasonable for every applicant.
The project emphasizes the inclusion of tasks suitable for automated grading, such as multiple-choice questions, in the exams. The diverse use of multiple-choice questions in different exams is well justified in the project. However, multiple-choice questions should not be the only type of task in fields of study where text production is a key competency.
Furthermore, discussions regarding the space requirements of different universities for exam administration should be taken into broader consideration in the project. Universities must prepare for significant changes in the number of participants in entrance exams.
Overall, we believe that the reform should prioritize quality over quantity. The project’s goal of scheduling all entrance exams within a period of just over a week does not seem sensible to us. There is no reason to force vastly different fields into the same exam. For example, a selection exam spread over two or three weeks is not, in our view, impossible for students to participate in.
For more information on the reform of study choices, visit the project’s website:
https://blogs.helsinki.fi/valintahanke/materiaalipankki/