Student selection criteria

Vocational College Lappia selects students based on the admissions criteria for vocational upper secondary qualifications. The institution may reject an applicant for vocational education and training if the applicant does not have sufficient skills in understanding and using the language of instruction, both orally and in writing.

The selection criteria for rolling admission are as follows:

• • Completion of the basic education syllabus or equivalent knowledge

• • Strengths relevant to studies in the field

• • Motivation for the chosen field

• • Need for education (e.g. career change, lack of a degree)

• • Health requirements in accordance with the SORA (Solutions for Unsuitability to Study) legislation in certain fields. During the interview, the applicant signs a separate appendix.

• • Assessment of study readiness, e.g. mathematical tests, written tests, fine motor skills testing, physical fitness testing

• • Barriers to working in the field (e.g. serving/caring for a person of the opposite sex, family-related reasons, shift work, etc.)

Language skill requirements and language tests

At Vocational College Lappia, the language of instruction is Finnish. If your native language is not Finnish and you wish to study at Lappia, you must have sufficient skills in both spoken and written Finnish.

You can find Lappia’s field-specific language skill requirements in English here.

If your native language is not Finnish, you must demonstrate sufficient language skills for your studies:

• • You must have a certificate proving sufficient Finnish language proficiency (see section “Certificate of Language Proficiency”),
    or

• • If you do not have a certificate, you must take the Finnish language test organized by Vocational College Lappia (see section “Language test dates”). You must pass the test to be eligible for admission.

Certificate of language proficiency

Your language skills are considered sufficient if you meet any of the following criteria:

1. • You have a basic education certificate and have completed basic education in Finnish

• • You have completed Finnish language or Finnish as a second language studies in comprehensive school

• • You have completed the upper secondary education syllabus or matriculation examination in Finnish

• • You have completed the full syllabus of upper secondary education in either the “Mother Tongue and Literature” or “Finnish as a Second Language” subject

• • You have completed all sections of the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) in Finnish at least at level 3

• • You have passed the Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate (VKT) in both oral and written Finnish with at least a satisfactory skill level

• • You have completed a vocational qualification and studied Finnish as a mother tongue or Finnish as a second language as part of the qualification

• • Your language proficiency was assessed at level B1.1 during integration training and you have a certificate of this assessment (certificate must be less than 6 months old), considering field-specific requirements

• • You have another verified and reliable language certificate, taking into account field-specific language skill requirements

If you have one of the above-mentioned certificates, you can use it to demonstrate your language skills. You must attach the certificate to your application.

Language test dates

Finnish language proficiency is assessed through a language test. The test evaluates all areas of language proficiency: reading comprehension, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking.

Provided there are enough applicants, the language test dates for the academic year 2025–2026 are as follows:

• • Tuesday, August 12, 2025, Tornio

• • Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Kemi

• • Tuesday, November 18, 2025, Tornio

• • Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Kemi

• • Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Tornio

• • Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Kemi

Vocational College Lappia reserves the right to make changes.

Vocational College Lappia does not organize remote language tests due to the nature of the test and materials used.

Lappia follows the guidelines of Finnish authorities in organizing the language test.

The requirement to demonstrate language proficiency is regulated under Section 27, subsection 4 of the Act on Vocational Education (630/1998), based on the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture. More information can be found here (available in Finnish and in Swedish).