Admission to High School

First year high school students (born 2011 or 2010, studies beginning in August 2027) are selected through the national joint application, “yhteishaku”.The application must be done via www.opintopolku.fi within the application time 16.2. – 16.3.2027.

Please note, that if you are not a citizen of the EU or EEA, you must have a residence permit in Finland that is not based on studies in order to apply for the English-language high school program.

Please note that you can only take the English-language matriculation exams if you are enrolled in the English-language high school program.

Please note the legislative changes regarding tuition fees in upper secondary education for applicants from outside the EU/EEA; more information can be found here.

High School OPEN HOUSES 2027:

Wednesday, January 20, 2027 at 17.00-19.30 Valimotie 17-19, Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki

Tuesday, February 2, 2027 at 17.00-18.00 ONLINE via Teams

1. Admission to the Upper Secondary English and Finnish language and culture program (50 places)

Our high school’s English–Finnish language and culture program strives for balanced bilingualism in English and Finnish, and every student completes the Finnish Matriculation Examination in Finnish.

Admission Criteria 

Admission to the bilingual program is based on the grade point average (GPA) of the applicant’s academic subjects on their basic education school-leaving certificate and the language test. The minimum acceptable grade point average is 7.5.

Please note that for the bilingual program, a basic command of the Finnish language is needed, and students need to be motivated to improve their Finnish. This is because several study units are studied in Finnish, and the students will take the Finnish Matriculation Examinations as their final examinations.

Language test

The test assesses the applicant’s language proficiency in Finnish and English (multiple-choice questions). The test is graded on a scale of 0–2, where 0–1 is a fail and 2 is a pass. The maximum total score an applicant can receive is therefore 12 (academic GPA + max. 2 points from the language test). 

The language test for the bilingual program will be held on Tuesday, May 4th, 2027, at The English School, located at Valimotie 17–19 (2nd floor), 00380 Helsinki, from 9.30 to 11.30. Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the test starts. Detailed instructions on participating in the test will be sent to applicants at the beginning of April.

A photo ID must be presented upon arrival at the language test. Taking the entrance exam remotely is not possible. If necessary, we will organize one backup date for the test.

Applicants can receive 30 minutes of extra time on the language test if they have a certificate of special arrangements used during basic education.

Discretionary Admission (only valid in bilingual program)

If you are applying with a certificate from overseas, you must have completed your basic education (Grades 1-9) corresponding to the Finnish Basic Education Certificate (completed by 5.6.2027) in order to be considered a valid applicant for special consideration, discretionary admission (“harkinnanvarainen valinta”). We require a certificate or clarification of studies completed abroad from these applicants by May 20, 2027. All applicants applying through discretionary admission must also take the language test held at the school (Valimotie 17–19, 00380 Helsinki) on Tuesday, May 4, 2027, from 9.30 to 11.30. The test will assess the applicant’s proficiency in both Finnish and English. More detailed instructions regarding participation in the test will be sent to the applicants by email at the beginning of April.

Copies should be delivered to: Valimotie 17-19, Helsinki or english.school@engs.fi.

If applying from a comprehensive school in Finland, copies of report cards or certificates are not needed. We will ask students for their high school study unit choices after they have been accepted in June.   

2. Admission to the General Upper Secondary education in English (20 places)

Students in the English-language upper secondary education at the English School complete their studies according to the Finnish national curriculum and, towards the end of their studies, participate in the Finnish matriculation examinations in English. Students must take at least five examination subjects, one of which is Finnish (Finnish as a Second Language and Literature). It will be possible to take the English-language matriculation examinations starting in autumn 2028.

Studies in the English-language upper secondary education are conducted mainly in English, and part of the instruction may also be organised remotely in cooperation with other institutions offering English-language upper secondary education.

Please note that strong motivation to learn and study the Finnish language is essential in the English-language program, as Finnish Language is a compulsory subject for all students, and all students are required to take the Finnish language examination in the matriculation examination. Students study two beginner-level Finnish courses (a total of 4 credits) before moving on to the national Finnish as a Second Language and Literature courses. In addition to Finnish as a Second Language studies, we also support Finnish language learning across other subjects. The aim for all students is excellent proficiency in English and at least a good level of proficiency in Finnish.

Admission Criteria

The English-language upper secondary school track is intended for young people who have completed studies referred to in the Basic Education Act for no more than three years and therefore have insufficient language skills to complete upper secondary school in Finnish or Swedish.

If you are applying with a certificate from overseas, you must have completed your basic education (Grades 1-9) corresponding to the Finnish Basic Education Certificate in order to be considered a valid applicant. The certificate of education completed abroad, and, if needed, its official English translation (or a transcript of records of your studies to date), must be submitted to the school.

In addition, an applicant admitted to upper secondary education in English who is not a citizen of a European Union member state or a state belonging to the European Economic Area must have been granted a residence permit under the Aliens Act for reasons other than studies. The admission decision is conditional until the selected applicant submits the official documents to the school. The documents must be submitted to the school no later than the start of the school year, 11 August 2027.

Attachments containing sensitive information must be submitted either by secure email or by post.

Applications are submitted through the joint application system, and selection is based solely on the entrance examination. In the event of a tie in points, the selection will be determined by lottery.

Entrance Exam

The entrance examination in English-language upper secondary education measures the applicants’ academic capabilities and the core skills and mathematical skills required in upper secondary education. The entrance exam is conducted in English. The entrance exam is held in Finland and cannot be taken remotely. Special arrangements (e.g., extra time) cannot be requested for this exam.

The national entrance exam for English-language upper secondary education will be held on Tuesday, 20 April 2027, from 10.00 to 12.00. With one entrance exam, applicants may apply to all upper secondary schools offering education in English. The national entrance exam must be taken at the institution that the applicant has ranked highest in their application preferences among schools offering general upper secondary education in English. The entrance exam cannot be taken remotely. The English School will hold the entrance examination at the above-mentioned time at Valimotie 17–19, 00380 Helsinki (the auditorium on the second floor).

Results

Announcement of results and admittance begins on Thursday, June 17th. You will receive a letter that tells you the results and gives you more detailed instructions on how to secure your place and how to sign up for the first year study units.

You need to secure your place by July 1st at the latest.

PLEASE NOTE! If you are interested in transferring to our school during the school year or applying to the second or third year of high school, please contact the High School Principal Seija Nyholm (seija.nyholm@engs.fi).

For more information, please contact:

Principal Seija Nyholm (seija.nyholm@engs.fi) or Assistant principal Seija Kiiskinen (seija.kiiskinen@engs.fi).