UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND Iceland: Upper secondary school system and admission requirements for universities Gísli Fannberg University of Iceland Recognition Office (ENIC/NARIC)

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND The Icelandic School system

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND Entrance requirements to universities Different methods used for choosing students: –Everyone who fulfills the entrance requirements may register –Everyone who fulfills the entrance requirements may register, but competetive examinations are held after the first semester (numerus clausus) –Everyone who fulfills the entrance requirements may register, but students have to pass examinations in certain subjects in the first semester to move to the next semester –The institution chooses the best students based on the applications –Entrance examinations

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND Entrance requirements to universities Students entering a higher education institution are required to have passed the Icelandic matriculation examination (Stúdentspróf, upper secondary-school leaving examination) or to have completed other equivalent studies. Some faculties require certain types of matriculation examination (stúdentspróf)

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND Entrance requirements to universities There are three academic programmes of study leading to matriculation: –foreign languages –natural sciences –social sciences Pupils in art and vocational programmes have the possibility of doing additional studies to complete the stúdentspróf (matriculation examination).

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND Entrance requirements to universities

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New law on secondary schools New law on secondary schools (2008), decentralization vs. centralization New credit system 60 credits per year, hours of work per credit Secondary schools create their own programmes

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New secondary school - levels Level one –General education – credits Level two –General education and short vocational education – credits Level three –Vocational education and matriculation examination – credits Level four –Additional education credits

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New secondary school - levels Distribution of studies at qualification levels Qualification level Criteria for proportion of studies MinimumMaximum 117%33% 2 50% 317%33% 4010% Template for learning outcomes at qualification level 3 The template shows that 17% to 33% of the studies are to be defined at level one, 33% to 50% of the studies are to be defined at level two, 17% to 33% are to be at level three and up to 10 can be defined at level four.

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New secondary school - levels Core subject Minimum competence Requirements for minimum number of credits Icelandic Qualification level 3 Total number at level 2 and 3 are to be at least 20 secondary school credits, of which 10 credits are to be at level 3. Mathematic and English Qualification level 2 Minimum number at level 2 is 5 credits in either Mathematics or English. If Mathematics is chosen for minimum number at level 2, students have to take more credits in English and vice versa. Total has to be at least 45 credits.

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New secondary school - programmes SubjectHumanities Social Sciences Natural Sciences Icelandic Mathematics Danish English Third Language Sociology History Psychology 9* 536* Education 53 Economics 53 Physics 1063 Chemistry 1593 Geology 1063 Biology 1063 Natural Sciences * 9 Physical Education Life skills Final Project Special topic Electives Total

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND New secondary school – level distribution Level distribution : –19.5% on 1st. level, –35.5% on 2nd. level –22.5% on 3rd. level Distribution of studies at qualification levels Qualification level Criteria for proportion of studies MinimumMaximum 117%33% 2 50% 317%33% 4010%

UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND