Entrance examinations and pre-tasks

On this website you can read about the student selection methods used for admitting students to degree programmes conducted in English.

The selection methods are confirmed for each application round and degree programme separately. Students are mainly selected based on entrance examination result but for some programmes admission may be based on a pre-task or upper secondary qualification certificates.

Joint Application, spring 2023

BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Game Design (full-time, on campus), 22 study places

Student selection method: online entrance examination (100% of study places)

The entrance examination consists of two parts:

Part 1: Instructions are sent out to all applicants by email on 19 January 2023. The first part includes two tasks. You must pass each task with minimum points in order to qualify in the selection process. If you do not pass the first task, your second task will not be assessed. The tasks must be uploaded to the application form on Studyinfo by 26 January 2023, 3 pm UTC+2.
Part2:
65 applicants with the best points of Part 1, will be invited to Part 2. Part 2 is an online entrance exam organised on 23 February 2023. The Part 2 exam includes two tasks and a group interview. You must pass each task with minimum points in order to qualify in the selection process. If you do not pass both the first and second task of Part 2, your third task will not be assessed.
  • The entrance examination of Game Design consists of game design tasks that involve presenting one’s ideas in written and visually. The evaluation criteria vary from task to task but involve mostly some of the following: idealization skills, creativity and imagination, logical thinking, presentation skills (ability to communicate and illustrate one’s ideas both in written and visually), storytelling skills, drawing skills and quality of work.
  • Cooperation in entry exams: no
  • Previous exams available for applicants: no

 

Digital International Business (full-time, on campus), 50 study places
Wellbeing Management (part-time, online-oriented), 30 study places
Nursing (full-time, on campus), 50 study places
  • Student selection methods (% of study places):
    International UAS Exam (100%)
  • Cooperation in entry exams: yes
  • Previous exams available for applicants: no
Environmental Engineering (full-time, online-oriented), 20 study places
Information Technology (full-time, on campus), 25 study places

 

MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Master of Social Services and Health Care, Rehabilitation (online studies), 20 study places
  • Student selection methods: online entrance examination (100%)
  • The entrance examination includes two parts.
    • Part 1 is a written exam based on material. The written exam is organised on Thursday, 16 February 2023, online on Xamk Open Learn environment. The written exam measures information processing. All examination materials are given during the examination in XAMK Open Learn environment.
    • Part 2 is an interview that measures study motivation, abilities to develop working life and English language skills. Eligible applicants with the best points of Part 1, will be invited to Part 2. Interviews are organised on 15 – 16 March 2023, online on Teams.
  • The lowest accepted score for the exam is 30/100. You must pass both parts of the exam to be considered for admission.
  • Cooperation in entry exams: no
  • Previous exams available for applicants: no

International UAS Exam

An online entrance examination, the International UAS Exam consists of two phases:
  1. First phase – written exam on 8 February 2023
  2. Second phase – group interview (oral exam) on 6 – 17 March 2023
The entrance examination assesses the applicants’ abilities to study in universities of applied sciences. The entrance examination does not contain any pre-reading materials or pre-tasks. All instructions are available on www.UASinfo.fi.
International UAS exam is available in the following study fields:
  • Arts and Humanities, Education
  • Business and Administration, Information and Communication Technology
  • Natural Resources
  • Tourism and Hospitality
  • Seafaring
  • Social Services, Health Care, Sports, Beauty Care
  • Technology

Information on the International UAS Exam and the Certificate-based student selection can be found at UASinfo.fi.

Certificate-based student selection

The certificate-based student selection with threshold criteria applied to selected Xamk degree programmes is available for the following qualifications:

  • Finnish Matriculation Examination, International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma completed in an IB World School, European Baccalaureate (EB) Diploma completed in a European School, Reifeprüfung (RP) or Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA) degree completed in Finland. 
    • Threshold criteria for Business: The lowest score limit 60/198 and English language test in Matriculation Examination, basic syllabus grade C or higher, or advanced syllabus grade A or higher.
    • Threshold criteria for Technology/Engineering: The lowest score limit 60/198 and Mathematics test in Matriculation Examination, basic syllabus grade C or higher, or advanced syllabus grade A or higher.
  • Vocational upper secondary qualification completed In Finland after 1 August 2015
    • Threshold criteria for Business: The lowest score limit 80/150 and Common unit of Communication and interaction competence in the vocational upper secondary qualification, grade 2 or higher (grading scale 1-3), or grade 4 or higher (grading scale 1-5).
    • Threshold criteria for Technology/Engineering: The lowest score limit 80/150 and Common unit of Mathematics and science competence in the vocational upper secondary qualification, grade 2 or higher (grading scale 1-3), or grade 4 or higher (grading scale 1-5).

Qualifications completed outside Finland are not considered in the certificate-based student selection (except for the International and European Baccalaureate degrees).

Joint Application, autumn 2022

BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Game Design (part-time), 24 study places
  • Student selection method: entrance examination.
  • The student selection has two phases, Part 1 and Part 2. Applicants are admitted based on the combined points of Part 1 and Part 2.
  • The instructions for Part 1 tasks are sent to all applicants in the entrance exam invitation that is emailed to all applicants on 15 September 2022. The Part 1 tasks have to be delivered as per the given instructions by 21 September 2022.
  • Part 2 online entrance exam is arranged on 1 November 2022. 60 applicants with the best points of Part 1, will be invited to Part 2 by email.
  • The entrance examination of Game Design consists of game design tasks that involve presenting one’s ideas in written and visually. The evaluation criteria vary from task to task but involve mostly some of the following: ideation skills, creativity and imagination, logical thinking, presentation skills (ability to communicate and illustrate one’s ideas both in written and visually), storytelling skills, drawing skills and quality of work.
  • Cooperation in entry exams: no
  • Previous exams available for applicants: no
  • The minimum score for a passed examination: 50/100 points. All examination parts must be completed successfully. In addition, English language skills are assessed in the exam.

MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Master of Business Administration, International Business Management, 30 study places
  • Student selection method: pre-assignment and online interview
  • Cooperation in entry exams: no
  • Previous exams available for applicants: no
  • Instructions for the pre-assignment
  • The pre-assignment (max 50 points, min 20 points) is to be uploaded and saved on your application form on Studyinfo by 6 October 2022, 3 pm Finnish time (UTC +3) at the latest.
  • Invitation to the online interview is sent by email to the 50 best candidates based on the points from the pre-assignment.
  • The online interviews (max 50 points, min 20 points) will be organised between 7 – 11 November 2022.

You must pass both pre-assignment and interview to qualify for admission. Applicants are admitted in order of best points.

Individual arrangements in entrance examinations

You may request individual arrangements for entrance examinations on particular grounds. Individual arrangements can be granted for the International UAS Exam but not for entrance exams in other degree programmes at Xamk.

The request for individual arrangements must be submitted:

  • Joint Application, Spring 2023: by 25 January 2023, 3pm Finnish time (UTC+2)
  • Joint Application, Autumn 2022: by 21 September 2022, 3 pm Finnish time (UTC +3)

Electronic application form for individual arrangements

Requests for individual arrangements sent after the deadline are processed only in acute, exceptional cases. Individual arrangements cannot be granted if the request is submitted too late, with regard to the timetable of the entrance examination, or individual arrangements are otherwise deemed impossible to arrange.

Required attachments

Please attach copies of attestations that support your request, e.g. medical certificate or equivalent statement on the nature of your disease or disability, or a certificate on dyslexia or learning difficulty.

If you request support measures, such as additional time, on the grounds of dyslexia, attach a statement of a trained special needs teacher, an expert psychologist, speech therapist or specialist medical doctor (e.g. child neurologist, neurologist or phoniatrician). The statement shall indicate that you need support measures for taking the exam due to dyslexia. The UAS may accept an equivalent decision made by The Finnish Matriculation Examination Board if it contains the granted support measures.

The validity of statements is assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on the persistence of disability, disease or learning difficulty. For dyslexia, only statements that have been obtained at the age of 16 or later are considered. Do not send original certificates but be prepared to present the originals at the start of your studies should you become accepted to the study programme. Information related to your health shall be kept secret (Section 24, Act on the Openness of Government Activities).

Notice on granted individual arrangements

You are notified of the granted arrangements by email. If you are dissatisfied on the arrangements granted by Xamk, please contact Xamk Admission Services.

The announcement on individual arrangements for the entrance exam is exam-specific and valid only in that particular entrance exam.

Individual arrangements that have been granted in advance for the second phase are valid only if the applicant receives an invitation to the second phase.

After you have got the final admission results in joint application, you can request adjustment to the decision on individual arrangement as a part of student selection appeal procedure.

International UAS Exam

Requests concerning the International UAS Exam must be submitted to the university of applied sciences/study programme using the International UAS Exam that is first on your application form.

Xamk uses an electronic form for the requests but some UAS may use a paper form. Please check details regarding the International UAS Exam on UASinfo website.

Submit your request to Xamk if one of the following degree programmes at Xamk is first on your application:

  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Digital International Business
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Wellbeing Management
  • Bachelor of Engineering, Environmental Engineering
  • Bachelor of Engineering, Information Technology
  • Bachelor of Health Care, Nursing

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